Persona 3: Green Midnight
by Dragon's Shadow
Summary: You've seen the Journey. You've seen the Female's path. Now, you will see the tale of Persona 3 as it was truly meant to be told. Witness the story of the Arisato twins and their struggle against the Shadows.
1. Chapter 1: Journey

Welcome to Persona 3: Green Midnight! It's been a long time since I posted anything on the site, but in that time, I've drastically improved my writing skill! Before we begin, I'd like to thank Regina Ricae Mortis for being my beta for this story and SamJaz for inspiring me to get back in the game! Anyways, I hope you enjoy, and I do promise to actually try and finish this story, unlike previous projects. Now, sit back, relax, and let us begin The Journey.

Note: **Bold**- Electronic/Otherworldly Voices

_Italics_- Flashbacks/Minato's thoughts

If a person's first and last name is used, the last name will be going first, just like in Japan. You can find a list of unfamiliar terms and what they mean at the end of the chapter.

* * *

**_Chapter 1:_** _Journey_

**'Attention passengers. We have now arrived at Iwatodai Station. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by the delay. The next stop is Iwatodai. I repeat, the next stop is Iwatodai.'**

The announcement echoed over the PA system on the train as it screeched to a halt. The doors opened wide, ready to let its passengers out.

**'Iwatodai. Iwatodai. This is the final train bound for Tatsumi Port Island. Please make sure you board in time for departure. Iwatodai. Iwatodai,'** the PA system echoed once more.

Two people departed the train, looking tired from the train ride. One was a young man with wild blue hair, long bangs swept over his right eye. He had on a black jacket worn open, black pants, a white button-up shirt, an old-fashioned tie, and blue boots. A gray bag swung over his right shoulder, he took his MP3 player, which was hanging around his neck, in his left hand to turn down the volume.

His traveling companion was a young lady. She had long red hair tied up in a bun. She was clad in a black jacket that was closed, a white blouse under the jacket, black skirt, black loafers, white knee-high socks, and a large red ribbon tied around her neck in the same style as her companion. Wearing a red backpack, she was smoothing out her skirt as she turned down the music on her MP3 player that also hung around her neck.

"Well, looks like we're finally here, aniki," the female smiled.

"Yeah. I'm glad to finally get off that train. Why did a storm on the other side of Nihon affect the train schedule here?" the male frowned.

"I don't really know; I guess its how the world works," the redhead shrugged as she looked around.

"Yeah. At least we're here now. But why did we have to arrive so late?" the boy sighed.

"Yeah. I don't like being out so late. But as long as we hurry, we should avoid any problems," the girl smiled.

"Agreed," said the male as he took out a piece of paper from his jacket pocket. The two studied the piece of paper, which so happened to be a map. The girl pointed to a location on the map.

"According to the map, this is Iwatodai station," she said. She then pointed to a symbol on the map. It was a circle divided into four quarters. The top left and bottom right parts were white while the top right and bottom left areas were black. The circle was surrounded by another circle, colored red and had the words 'Gekkoukan High School' in it. "That would be the high school we're going to," she continued. Her finger traced the map from the symbol back to the station to a third point on the map. The symbol she landed on was that of a bed. "And here must be our dorm. And it's not too far from here!" she chirped.

"That's good. I wasn't in the mood for a long walk," the male yawned. "Don't you find it lucky that we were assigned to the same dorm?"

"Yeah. I was surprised there was a co-ed dorm and that we both got assigned to it. However, I'm glad. We've always been together and to separate us now would be a travesty, wouldn't it, Minato-aniki?" the girl smiled.

"Yeah. We've always been together and I don't plan on that ending anytime soon, Hamuko," the boy, now identified as Minato, chuckled.

"I'm holding you to that," Hamuko smiled.

Minato grabbed the MP3 player hanging around his neck and looked at it, observing the time on it.

"It's almost midnight. I didn't realize it was that late," he said.

"Wow. The train ride took longer than I thought," Hamuko sighed.

However, before they could leave, the electronics in the building suddenly cut off. The lights dimmed out and the diminished noise from their headphones and from all around them was silenced. The moon from the skylight turned a sickly green, casting its eerie light upon the two travelers. "Heh. I guess its midnight now," Minato sighed.

"What should we do? Should we stay here?" Hamuko asked.

"I think we should make our way towards the dorm. As long as we keep moving and don't attract attention, I think we'll be fine. However, be ready for anything," Minato warned his companion.

"Got it, aniki," Hamuko nodded as she reached into her backpack. After a moment, Hamuko pulled out a white baton. She twirled it around her fingers and flicked it, causing the baton to extend to more than double its size. Minato also reached into his bag and pulled out a baseball bat. He shifted his bag over to his other shoulder and gave his bat a couple of practice swings with his right arm.

"Excellent. Now let's get going; the sooner we get to our dorm, the better," said Minato. Hamuko nodded in agreement and the two departed from the train station into the eeriness of the night.

* * *

The streets were even creepier than the train station. The sickly green moon illuminated the sky and clouds as the streets were soaked with gallons of blood. Yet, that wasn't the oddest part; the oddest part was that dozens of reddish-black coffins littered the streets, completely upright and hovering above the ground. "I still can't shake how creepy all this is," Hamuko frowned as they walked.

"True. But it gets less jarring every time," Minato shrugged. "So, tell me, where are we right now?" Hamuko looked at the map she held in her hand.

"Well, I think we're near the dorm now. I just wished that we hadn't gotten confused and ended up at Naganaki Shrine. We wasted quite a bit of time with that," Hamuko dryly chuckled.

"The big city is so confusing, Hamuko, even with a map. I'm just glad we haven't run into any trouble yet," said Minato.

"I know. Isn't that weird? I guess they're not active today or something," she figured.

"Who knows? All I know is that we shouldn't question our good luck right now," Minato sighed in deep thought and Hamuko nodded in agreement. The two continued walking, searching for their dorm. As time passed and their search continued, Hamuko hummed a song and Minato bobbed his head in tune with her humming. As her song came to an end, the two came upon a somewhat large building.

"Hey, Hamuko, is this the place?" Minato asked.

Hamuko looked at the address that was written on the map and compared it to the address found above the door. "Hai, this is the place!" she chirped. Minato let out a sigh of relief.

"Finally. I'm ready for bed. Let's go inside, find who's in charge, get our rooms, and catch some shut eye," said Minato.

The two weary travelers entered the building and glanced around. The entrance looked quite a bit like a hotel lobby. To their left was a counter that served like a check-in desk. To their right were several couches, chairs, a table, and a television. Beyond the lobby, there was a kitchen area, complete with table and chairs. To the left of the kitchen were bathrooms and stairs leading up. "You think anyone's still up?" Minato asked as he put his bat away.

"Who knows? Should we ring the bell or something?" Hamuko shrugged as she folded her baton up. As the two removed their headphones from their ears, a voice called out.

"You're late," the voice mocked them. Minato turned to his left to see that a strange young boy clad in prison wear-like pajamas had manned the check-in desk. The boy seemed oddly creepy; he exuded a feeling horror movies would give someone. "I've been waiting a long time for you," the boy scolded.

_'I guess he means I've kept him up for half the night waiting for us,' _Minato thought. _'But how is he active during this time, when everyone else has become coffins?'_

The strange boy snapped his fingers. "Now if you want to proceed…" the boy pointed to the registry on the desk, which mysteriously opened on its own. "Please sign your name there; it's a contract," the boy said.

"A contract?" Minato asked, confused by the statement.

"Don't worry. All it says is that you'll accept full responsibility for your actions. You know, the usual stuff…" the boy assured the blue-haired teen. Minato felt his body shiver as the boy looked at him expectantly, like the boy was the embodiment of fear itself.

"Do I have to?" Minato asked the boy.

"No, but it would be in your best interest to do so," the boy smiled, which freaked Minato out. Minato took a deep breath in order to calm himself down.

_'He probably means a dorm contract or something like that,'_ Minato assured himself. "Okay," Minato said, which made the boy smile wider. He walked over to the registry and took the quill pen in hand. He dipped the pen in the inkbottle and quickly signed the name 'Arisato Minato' on the line. "Done. Does my imoto need to sign this contract as well?" Minato asked.

"Don't worry; your imoto will get her own contract soon enough," the boy mysteriously said. He then took the registry in hand and closed it. "No one can escape time. It delivers us all to the same end," the boy chuckled. He then held up the contract in a way that it covered his right eye the way Minato's hair covered his eye. "You can't plug your ears and cover your eyes," the boy warned.

With a flick of the wrist, the registry disappeared into thin air. The boy began walking backwards into the shadows, fading away as he did. "And so it begins…" the boy faded into the darkness.

"What on earth was that all about?" the young man wondered. Suddenly, a hand began snapping in his face.

"Aniki, are you okay?" Hamuko asked.

"Huh? What?" Minato was confused.

"Are you okay? You suddenly started babbling about some 'contract', walked over to the sign-in desk, and scribbled on it," Hamuko informed him.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Minato asked. He looked back over to the desk. Sure enough, 'Arisato Minato' was scribbled in ink on the desk. "What? How can that be? What about the boy? And the contract?" Minato began to worry.

"What boy? What contract? Aniki, are you sure you're okay?" Hamuko grasped her brother's hands out of concern for him. Before Minato could respond to his sister's concerns, they heard a creaking sound.

"Who's there!?" a voice shouted out. The two looked towards the stairs and saw a young girl standing nearby. She had shoulder-length brown hair. She wore a choker around her neck and had on a pink sweater. A red bow was also tied around her neck like Hamuko, and had on a skirt and loafers. On her left arm was a red armband that had the initial 'S.E.E.S' on it. What was most catching was on her right thigh; it was a gun holster, with a silver gun inside.

The pink-clad girl began breathing heavily, looking at Minato and Hamuko with fear in her eyes. "What the hell?" Minato asked. As the girl's hand slowly fidgeted towards her gun, Minato and Hamuko found themselves taking a step back.

"What are you doing!?" Hamuko yelled, fearful for her life. The girl drew her gun from its holster and was ready to pull the trigger. "No!" Hamuko sobbed, grabbing her brother in need of safety.

As the girl began to pull back on the trigger, a voice shouted, "Takeba! Wait!" The gun-wielding girl whipped around to see that another young woman had appeared at the foot of the stairs. She had long red hair that covered her left eye. She wore a white-button up blouse, black knee-high heeled boots, and a long gray skirt. She had the same ribbon around her neck and wore the same armband as the brunette. On her waist was a gun holster with a gun similar to that the pink-clad girl had on her.

As the brunette breathed a sigh of relief, the power cut back on, the eerie green light fading away. The MP3 players around Minato and Hamuko's necks cut back on, the songs they were listening earlier softly echoing from their earphones. The brunette couldn't help but smile in relief as she put her gun away. The red-haired one approached and smiled at everyone.

"I didn't think you two would arrive so late. My name is Kirijo Mitsuru. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm," the red-head introduced herself.

"Who are they?" the brunette asked the one now identified as Mitsuru.

"They're transfer students and siblings, fraternal twins to be precise. It was a last minute to assign them here to this dorm. They'll eventually be moved to the appropriate dorms," Mitsuru explained.

"…Is it okay for them to be here?" the brunette asked.

"I guess we'll see," Mitsuru nodded as she looked over at Minato and Hamuko. "I guess I'll introduce everyone."

"This is Takeba Yukari," Mitsuru pointed to the pink-clad girl. "Takeba, these are the Arisatos: Minato-san and Hamuko-san. All three of you will be juniors this spring."

"…Hey," the girl shyly greeted with a wave.

Hamuko, still holding onto her brother, looked up. "Aniki, what do we do?" she whispered to him.

"We play along for now. Besides, I want to know how is it that there are others active during 'that time' besides us," Minato whispered back.

"Okay, aniki," Hamuko nodded. The two separated and stood in front of Mitsuru and Yukari. Minato turned off his MP3 player and extended a hand.

"Nice to meet you, Yukari-san and Mitsuru-san," Minato greeted.

"Same here, Arisato. However, I am your sempai, so I expect to be addressed accordingly," Mitsuru replied.

"Hai, Mitsuru-sempai," Minato nodded. The two shook hands.

"Uh… Nice to meet you too…" Yukari rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. She then shook Minato's hand as well, a bit nervous about it.

"It's nice to meet you two as well," Hamuko wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Can I ask something?" Minato asked.

"Of course, Arisato," said Mitsuru.

"Actually, I have two questions. Is this a girl's dorm? I was under the impression that this was a co-ed dorm, yet I only see girls so far," Minato blushed a little.

"Don't worry, Arisato. This is definitely a co-ed dorm. It's just that there are only three people who live here at the moment, and two of them are female. Well, I suppose its more accurate to say that there's five people living here now if I include you two," Mitsuru explained.

"Ah, okay," Minato sighed in relief. He may like girls, but living in a dorm full of them would be bad news. "My other question: You said you were Kirijo Mitsuru, as in the Kirijo Group, the prestige corporation?"

"That is correct. I'm impressed you knew that," Mitsuru smiled.

"Well, when your jii-sama is a famed detective, you tend to pick up a few things," said Minato.

"Ah, yes. I've heard of him from my tou-san, who has met your jii-san on several occasions. Don't you find it interesting that the child and grandchildren of two acquaintances end up at the same dorm?" Mitsuru asked.

"I do. I hope we can get along like they can," said Hamuko.

"Same here. Anyways, it's getting late, so you two should get some rest," said Mitsuru. "Arisato's room is on the second floor and Arisato-kohai's room is on the third floor. And before you ask, when I'm saying 'Arisato-kohai', I am addressing Hamuko-san. If it's just 'Arisato', then I'm addressing Minato-san. Anyways, the rest of your things should already be in your rooms. Takeba, if you would lead the way?"

"…Of course! Follow me!" Yukari informed everyone. Yukari led the group of four to the second floor. At the top of the stairs was a sitting area with several vending machines filled with food and drinks. Another staircase stood near the top of the stairs. On the other side of the sitting area was a hallway with several doors, which Minato assumed to be dorm rooms. "Follow me," Yukari motioned to Minato.

"Arisato-kohai, I'll take you to your room," said Mitsuru as she handed a key to Minato. "Arisato, this is your key to your room; don't lose it. Now then; Arisato and Takeba. I bid you both good night."

"Okay then. Night, aniki," Hamuko waved to her brother.

"Night, Hamuko," Minato waved back as Mitsuru and Hamuko went upstairs. Yukari led Minato to the end of the hallway, where there was a door by the window.

"This is it…" said Yukari. "Pretty easy to remember, since it's at the end of the hall. Make sure you don't lose your key, or you'll never hear the end of it. So, any questions?"

Minato took a moment to mull things over._ 'Hmm… perhaps I could take this opportunity to pump her for information. Have to be discreet, though. At least if something goes wrong, I'm close enough to stop her before she draws that gun of her,' _he thought.

"I do have a question, Yukari-san. What exactly was that contract I had to sign and where did the creepy kid in prison wear disappear to?" Minato asked, wanting to know more since Hamuko told him that she had not seen him sign the contract or the creepy kid.

"Huh? What kid? What contract? C'mon, it's not funny, Minato-san," Yukari frowned.

_'Crap, that got me nowhere. Either she's playing dumb or she honestly doesn't know and I'm losing it. Either option doesn't seem good…' _he sighed. "Never mind, Yukari-san. I'm just tired after a long day on the train, so I'm just babbling nonsense," said Minato.

"Okay," Yukari nodded. "Um… Can I ask you something? On your way here from the station, was everything okay?"

_'Ah, ha. She DOES know something. She seems to be aware of 'Green Midnight'. I wonder what I can find out?'_ he mentally smirked. "What are you talking about, Yukari-san?" Minato innocently asked.

"You know what I…" Yukari caught herself. "Never mind. It seems like you're alright."

_'Drat. That got me nothing either. I had hoped that she'd slip up, but she's smarter than I gave her credit for. Might as well stop; I doubt I'll get anything else out of her tonight,' _Minato decided to let it go for now. "Yeah, I'm fine, just tired. Is it okay if I head in for the night?" Minato asked.

"Oh! Sorry! I forgot that it's late!" Yukari apologized. "I should get going." Yukari turned around to leave, but then looked over her shoulder. "I'm sure you still have other questions, but can we save them for later, okay?" Yukari asked.

"Sure. So, I'll see you tomorrow then?" Minato replied.

"Yeah. Night, Minato-san," Yukari waved and headed off to her room.

Minato unlocked his door and walked inside his room. Several boxes containing his stuff littered the floor, having yet to be unpacked. There were a couple of bookshelves in the room, a dresser, a TV on top of a nightstand, a desk with a chair, a sink with a mirror over it, and a large bed that was already made.

"So, this is home now…" Minato took the sight in. He put his bag on the ground, then took off his jacket and threw it on the chair. As he sat down on the bed and kicked off his boots, a voice called out.

**'Now I face up, I hold up, I reach out to the truth...' **the voice sang.

Instinctively, Minato reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a cell phone. "Moshi moshi?" he answered the phone.

"Aniki! You enjoying your new room?" Hamuko chirped from the other end of the line.

"Yeah, it's okay. After I unpack everything, it'll be better, though," said Minato.

"You sure you wanna unpack everything? Mitsuru-sempai said that we'll be assigned to different dorms soon," Hamuko warned her brother.

"Well, enough to last until them," Minato replied. "So, you and Mitsuru-sempai talk about anything?"

"Not really. She led me to my room at the end of the hall, warned me not to lose my key, advised me to go to bed, then headed off," Hamuko answered.

"Yeah, I got the same thing from Yukari-san; however, I did learn something," Minato smiled.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Yukari-san had asked me if everything was okay on our way to the station. I replied that I had no idea what she was talking about. She then goes and says that I know what she was talking about and was going to say something else before she caught herself," Minato summarized the conversation, leaving out the part about the boy and the contract.

"What do you think that means?" Hamuko asked.

"I think she's aware of 'Green Midnight', Hamuko. And judging from what happened, I'd say Mitsuru-sempai is aware of it as well," Minato deduced.

"But how is that possible? I thought only family members were the only ones aware of 'Green Midnight'. Then we find a dog at Naganaki Shrine active during 'Green Midnight', and now Yukari-san and Mitsuru-sempai. Just what is going on here?" Hamuko pondered.

"I don't know, but I intend to find out," Minato gave his answer.

"Be careful, Minato-aniki. You saw how fidgety Yukari-san was. I… I don't want to lose you… especially to a gun…" Hamuko began to cry.

"Don't worry; you won't lose me," Minato assured her. "I'll be careful. Now go get some sleep. It's been a long day."

"Okay, aniki. Night," Hamuko hung up.

Minato shut off his phone and stuffed in into his pocket. Too lazy to change, he just fell onto his bed, sleep overcoming him.

_'Not even here an hour and already mysteries are popping up. I honestly hoped for a normal school year, just like back in the countryside, but I guess that's not going to happen. Just what is going on here?' _he wondered. He shoved his thoughts out of his mind and fell asleep, waiting for whatever the next day held.

* * *

_**Green Midnight Dictionary:**_

**Aniki-** Older Brother.

**Nihon-** What the Japanese call Japan.

**Imoto- **Younger Sister.

**Hai- **Yes.

**Sempai- **Mentor/Elder/Older Student

**Jii-sama/Jii-san-** Grandfather. 'Sama' indicates great respect and reverence. 'San' is the equivalent of Mister, Miss, or Mrs.

**Kohai- **Protege/Younger Student/Greenhorn/Rookie

**Green Midnight-** The time period in which the moon turns green, water turns to blood, and most people are turned into coffins. Fans of Persona 3 will know this as the 'Dark Hour'. (Will be explained later why Minato and Hamuko refer to it as 'Green Midnight'.)

**Moshi Moshi-** How you greet someone on the phone. Like, 'Hello' or 'Jones speaking'.

Thank you for reading this. I hope you leave comments. Constructive criticism is accepted; flames are not. A new chapter will be out soon.


	2. Chapter 2: Gekkoukan

Welcome to Chapter 2! I'd like to thank all of you who've read the story so far. I hope I continue to impress. And now for reviews.

Echo the Ethereal Swordsman: For now, the plot will remain mostly the same. However, once I get the ball rolling, you'll be seeing quite a few plot changes coming up; however the overall plot should roughly remain the same. I will say this, though: my first major twist will be quite surprising.

blazingreaper: If I had wanted Minato and Hamuko to be a couple, I wouldn't have made them siblings. While I do respect your interests, I personally hold no love for incest. I'm sure AdultFanFiction has what you're looking for, though.

DeathNoteMaker: I hope that, no matter the pairings, you do stick around. I've more or less decided the pairings, but I won't say what they are yet. I'm sure there's some that'll be liked, some that won't be, and some that make people go WTF!?, but it is my decision in the end. Also, to my knowledge, there is no official game script yet. However, I'm sure if you search Google, you can find one. Or wait until July 7, when P3P comes to the States.

Now then, let's get started. I present to you Chapter 2.

* * *

**_Chapter 2: _**_Gekkoukan  
_

Minato peacefully slept all night long. When he woke up the next morning, he rummaged through the boxes and pulled out a set of clothes similar to the one he wore yesterday, except they seemed kind of worn.

_'Tou-san's old school uniform…'_ Minato fondly looked over the clothes, brushing the dust off the school symbol found on the jacket. He then snagged a towel and some toiletries and went to the floor's bathroom to get ready for the day. When he returned, he took a long look in the mirror. _'Well, today's the day. Kaa-san… Tou-san… I hope you're proud of us…'_ Minato smiled into the mirror. A knock on the door snapped Minato out of his nirvana.

"It's Yukari," Yukari called from outside the room. "You awake?"

"Yeah, one second!" Minato replied, and then went over to his desk and slipped his MP3 player around his neck. He put his headphones on and answered the door. Not only was Yukari waiting for him, but also his sister Hamuko.

"Morning, aniki!" Hamuko greeted as she and Yukari entered the room.

"Good morning, Minato-san," said Yukari.

"Good morning, Hamuko, Yukari-san," Minato greeted back.

"You sleep okay?" Hamuko asked.

"Yeah, I did," said Minato. "You?"

"I slept fine. The bed was really comfortable," Hamuko replied.

"Mitsuru-sempai has asked that I escort the both of you to school. It's getting late, so are you ready to go?" Yukari asked.

"Just let me grab my bag," Minato snagged a smaller bag from the bag he brought with him last night. "Okay, ready."

"Good, let's go," Yukari ordered.

* * *

The three arrived at Iwatodai Station and boarded a train bound for Tatsumi Port Island. As the three rode the train, Yukari decided to strike up a conversation. "Hey, um… Minato-san, I've noticed that your uniform isn't brand new; in fact it seems well worn. Why is that?" Yukari asked.

"It was my tou-san's," Minato replied.

"Your tou-san's? He went to Gekkoukan?" Yukari was puzzled.

"Hai. Both kaa-san and tou-san went to Gekkoukan. In fact, they were part of Gekkoukan's first graduating class," Hamuko explained. "They were high school sweethearts."

"Aw… how sweet!" Yukari cooed.

"Yeah. We spent most of our life in the countryside with our maternal jii-sama, but we decided to move to Iwatodai and go to Gekkoukan to see the kind of life our parents lived when they were young," Minato looked out the window.

"So, how come your parents aren't here? Too expensive for them to move with you?" Yukari wondered. The Arisatos were silent and looked away. Yukari seemed confused as to why the Arisatos suddenly got quiet.

"Oh!" Yukari realized what had happened. "Gomen; I didn't realize it was something so serious. What happened?"

"…Ten years ago…" both Arisatos whispered at the same time.

"There was an accident. They died and we were very lucky to survive," Hamuko whispered.

"I'm so sorry, Minato-san. I honestly didn't know," Yukari apologized.

"It's okay, Yukari-chan," Hamuko put a hand on her shoulder. "We still miss them, but we spend every day living for them."

"That's noble of you," Yukari smiled. "And Minato-san, I think it's sweet that you're wearing your tou-san's old uniform in his honor."

"Arigato, Yukari-san," Minato replied.

"Anyways, let's not start school on a somber note! Why don't we tell each other a little about ourselves?" Yukari changed the subject.

* * *

Yukari, Minato, and Hamuko spent the next little while chatting, getting to know each other a little better. They learned each other's favorite colors, favorite foods, favorite bands, and a couple of other things.

**'Attention passengers. We are now arriving at Port Island Station. If this is your stop, please be ready to depart the train,'** the announcement echoed over the PA system.

"Oh! Come to the window, you two! You have to see the school as we make this last turn!" Yukari pulled them to the window. The three of them looked out the window to see the ocean. As the train made the turn, a rather large and elegant building appeared in their line of sight. "So, that's it. See? There it is," Yukari proudly announced.

"Wow…" Hamuko gasped.

"Amazing…" Minato was in awe.

_ 'So, this is kaa-san and tou-san's school? It's wonderful. I hope we can find the happiness you two found at Gekkoukan…'

* * *

_

After the train made its way to Port Island Station, the Arisatos and Yukari made the trek over to Gekkoukan. When they arrived, Yukari ran ahead of them and spread her arms out wide, a grin on her face. "Well, this is it. We're now here. Welcome to Gekkoukan High School. Hope you like it!" Yukari welcomed them.

Hamuko stood in awe, admiring her parents' school up close for the first time. Minato was also in awe, but for a different reason.

_ 'Wow, when she's happy and smiling, she looks so beautiful…'_ Minato was admiring Yukari. _'…Wait, what am I thinking!?'_ Minato shook the thought from his head and followed Yukari and his sister into the school.

* * *

When they entered, all three swapped their shoes at the shoe lockers. Yukari took a few steps ahead of them and addressed them. "Will you two be okay from here, right? You should go see your homeroom teacher first. The list of classes is on the bulletin board by the stairs and the Faculty Office is off to the left, in front of the restrooms. Second-year classes are on the second floor. I guess that's about all you need to know for now. Any questions?" Yukari gave a brief tour.

"What class are you in?" Hamuko asked.

"Me? I dunno. Haven't looked at the listings yet," Yukari shrugged. "I'd do it now, but I have to take care of some business regarding the Archery Club."

"Ah, okay. Well, if we don't see you in class, we'll see you back at the dorm, okay?" Hamuko nodded.

"Sure," Yukari turned to head out, but remembered something. "Hey… About last night… Don't tell anyone what happened, okay?" she asked them.

"Sure, Yukari-san. We promise," Minato assured her.

"Good. Well, see ya," Yukari ran off.

"Well, Hamuko, ready for your first day?" Minato asked.

"I'm always ready by your side, aniki," Hamuko took her brother's hand and squeezed it in affection.

"Excellent. Let's get going," Minato suggested. The two went over to the bulletin board to check their class assignments, but the billboard was crowded with dozens of students trying to find their classrooms. "Damn, there's a lot of people here," Minato spat, ticked off.

"How about we go ahead to the Faculty Office? We have to get settled anyways. If we're lucky, we'll meet our teacher. Besides, it should kill enough time until the crowd clears," Hamuko suggested.

"Sounds like a good idea," Minato agreed.

The two of walked over to the Faculty Office, wanting to get everything set up for the first day. When the walked inside, they took a look around, seeing teachers getting work done. "Minato-kun! Hamuko-chan!"

"No way…" Minato gasped.

"Can't be…" Hamuko was just as surprised. One of the teachers had approached them. She was a relatively young teacher, with short brown hair. She held a couple of files under her arm, and she was madly grinning, happy she had caught the twins off guard.

"Izako-daibo!?" the Arisatos cried out at the same time.

"I'm glad to see you two are here. How are you?" the woman known as Izako asked.

"We're fine, but what are you doing here?" Minato asked.

"I'm now a teacher here at Gekkoukan, teaching young minds about Composition. What do you think?" Isako asked.

"Wow. That's awesome!" Hamuko jumped for joy. "How come you didn't tell us?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise. You don't mind if I'm here, do you?" Izako replied.

"Of course not, Isako-daibo. But why are you here?" Minato wanted to know.

"I've always had an attachment to this school," Izako reminisced. "It's where the happiest years of my life happened, and it's also where I met the two greatest friends I ever had. Also, I owed it to your parents to keep an eye on you two while attending their alma mater."

"Kaa-san and tou-san…" Minato whispered.

"Jouhei-sempai and Nagi-sempai were real good to me in high school and beyond. They were the best sempai and friends I ever had. It was the saddest day in my life when they died. At least you two and your imoto are still alive, carrying on their legacy. By the way, how is young Naoko-chan?"

"Naoko is doing fine; she's with jii-sama. She was upset that we were leaving her to come to Gekkoukan; in fact, if it weren't for the fact that she was in eighth grade and her dream of idolizing our parents, she would've come with us in a heartbeat," Minato informed her.

"Still wanting to become a detective like her parents and grandparents and her other ancestors?" Isako asked.

"Oh, she definitely does," Hamuko chuckled.

"That's nice. I'm glad to see that she's taking it seriously," Izako smiled.

"I think she takes it way too seriously. I mean, recently, she's been rejecting her femininity because she believes the ideal detective is male. She's gotten her hair cut like a boy's, dressed likes a boy, speaks in a lower pitch, and even goes by a new name now," Minato shook his head.

"She doesn't go by Arisato Naoko anymore?" Izako cocked her head in confusion.

"Nope. She insists on going by the same 'Shirogane Naoto'," Hamuko chuckled.

"I see she took her kaa-san's maiden name. That's sweet of her," Izako chuckled as well. "I hope this wasn't your jii-san's doing."

"Nope. All Naoko's, or should I say Naoto's doing. Nothing we could do would dissuade her… I mean him," Hamuko said.

"Just as stubborn as Nagi-sempai, I see. I remember when your mother went through a similar phase. She had fallen for your father hard, yet could never get his attention. So, she decided if she couldn't get his attention as a girl, she'd do it as a guy. With a hat, sports bra, and frumpy clothes, she infiltrated Jouhai-sempai's circle of friends. For three months she kept up the charade, getting to know Jouhei-sempai the whole time. Finally, Nagi-sempai couldn't keep her feelings bottled up anymore and confessed to him. It was especially funny since she was still in disguise," Izako reminisced.

"Oh! I remember what happened next! Tou-san began freaking out, shouting 'NO! YAOI! AUGH! I AM NOT GAY!'," Hamuko recalled.

"And then Kaa-san got really pissed, shouting 'GODDAMMIT, I'M A GIRL YOU BAKA!'" Minato cracked a smile.

"Then Jouhai-sempai shouts back 'PROVE IT!'"

"Then Kaa-san, in a fit of rage, lifts her shirt to prove she's a girl…"

"Causing Tou-san to have a massive nosebleed…"

"Pissing off Nagi-sempai beyond all belief…"

"And Tou-san shouts 'HOLY CRAP! BIG BOOBIES!'"

"Which causes kaa-san to completely lose it…"

"By knocking him out into next week!" All three of them exploded in laughter, causing some of the other teachers in the room to shoot them a dirty look.

"Oh, those were the days…" Izako wiped the tears from her eyes.

"They were great people…" said Hamuko.

"I wish they were still here…" Minato whispered.

"I do too, Minato-kun. I do too…" Izako frowned. After a moment of silence to compose herself, Izako spoke up again. "Enough reminiscing for now, it's time to get serious. You two are assigned to 2-F, my class," Izako informed them.

"Really?" Hamuko asked with wonder.

"Really. I had your jii-san pull some strings so I could get you two assigned to my class. I figured you wouldn't mind that either," Izako informed them.

"We don't mind at all. Personally, I think it'd be cool," said Minato.

"Perfect, so here's some quick words of advice: during school hours, address me as Toriumi-sensei. After school, Izako-daibo will be just fine. Be on your best behavior. Don't let Naoko, your jii-san, or your parents down. Make sure you have fun. Join clubs if you can. Be sure to make friends that'll last a lifetime and beyond. Don't slack off; I won't be going easy on you, even though you're my godchildren. And most definitely, don't cross any of the teachers. I've only been here a week, and I've already made an enemy of Ekoda-san. If we weren't in school, I'd have a few choice words to describe him. Make sure you watch out for him; he's not exactly a shining example of the staff here, if you know what I mean," Izako advised them.

"Hai, Toriumi-sensei!" both siblings bowed.

"Wow! Such enthusiasm, just like your parents," Izako smiled. "Now then, we should get going; the Welcoming Ceremony will be starting soon. I'll take you both there."

* * *

After being escorted to the auditorium, the Arisato siblings took their seats. The place was already packed with a couple thousand students. Not long after they sat down, the principal stepped up to the podium.

"As you begin the school year," the principal began his speech. "I'd like each of you to remember the proverb, 'If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well.' When applied to student life, this means…"

_'Boring…'_ Minato though. Still somewhat sleepy, Minato put his headphones on, started playing a soft song, and leaned back. He looked over to his right to see that his sister had done the same thing. He smirked and allowed his thoughts and the speech to be drowned out by the beautiful music.

Just as sleep was overcoming him, he felt several taps on his shoulder. He turned around to see that a random student was trying to get his attention. _'Aw… just when I was all relaxed,'_ he mentally sighed.

"Can I help you?" Minato whispered as he muted his MP3 player.

"Yeah. You came to school with Yukari-san and that other girl this morning, right?" the student asked.

"Hai. I was with Yukari-san and my imoto this morning. What of it?" Minato asked back.

"Oh, so she's your imoto-chan," the student nodded in understanding. "Anyways, I have a question; do you know if either of them have a boyfriend?"

"Well, I only met Yukari-san just last night, so I really wouldn't know. As for my imoto, you'll have to get through me to have a shot with her," Minato glared.

"I get it. Gomen," the student apologized. "Anyways, just exactly how well do you know Yukari-san?"

Minato was about to reply when a teacher said, "I hear talking! I believe it's someone in Toriumi's class…"

"Shh! Be quiet!" Toriumi ordered as she glared at Minato and the other kid. "You'll get me in trouble."

The student sunk back into his seat while Minato turned back on his MP3 player and went back into blissful harmony.

* * *

After the ceremony, the day went off without a hitch. Minato and Hamuko met several teachers, such as the Sengoku-obsessed Ono-sensei, Toriumi's enemy Ekoda-sensei, and the self-proclaimed magician Edogawa-sensei. Minato thought each teacher was quirky in his or her own way.

When classes ended for the day, Toriumi stopped by to see Minato and Hamuko, who just happened to be assigned seats next to each other. She came by to see how the first day went. After hearing what had happened, she nodded in approval and left, but not before telling them that if they needed anything, she was a phone call away.

After she left, another student approached the twins. He wore the same uniform as Minato, sans the tie, and had on a blue shirt instead of the white one. He had on a baseball cap and had what appeared to be the start of a goatee on his chin. "S'up? How's it going?" the cap-wearing student greeted them.

"It's going well," Minato greeted back.

"Awesome. Anyways, the name's Iori Junpei. Nice to meet you," the cap-clad student extended a hand.

"Same here. Arisato Minato, and this is my imoto, Hamuko," Minato shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Junpei-kun," Hamuko waved.

"I know how tough it is being the new kid; after all, I transferred here in the eighth grade. So, I wanted to say 'hey.' See what a nice guy I am?" Junpei welcomed them.

"Hehehe. You definitely are, Junpei-kun," Hamuko giggled.

"Sweet! I already have you falling for me!" Junpei jumped for joy.

"Gomen, but you're not my type, Junpei-kun," Hamuko apologized.

"Aw… I jumped the gun again," sulked Junpei.

"I'm sure you'll make someone happy someday, Junpei-kun. And I wouldn't mind being your friend," Hamuko offered.

"Well, I'll take any victory I can get," Junpei sighed.

"That's the spirit," Minato encouraged him.

Just then, Yukari approached the group, glaring at Junpei.

"Hey, it's Yuka-tan!" said Junpei.

"Yuka-tan? That's an awesome nickname!" Hamuko giggled.

Yukari forced back a blush as she crossed her arms. "You're so annoying, Junpei. Did you ever think you might be bothering someone?" she fussed.

"What? I was just being friendly. Isn't that right, Hamu-chan?' Junpei looked at Hamuko expectantly.

"Oh, come on, Yukari-chan. Cut the guy some slack. He was only saying hi," Hamuko came to his defense.

"Oh? And what about you, Minato-san?" Yukari turned to Minato for help.

"Eh. I think he's okay," he shrugged.

"See? They think I'm an okay guy!" Junpei beamed with pride.

"Whatever," Yukari held up her hands in defeat. "Anyways, looks like we're all in the same homeroom…"

"Yeah. I know. Funny, isn't it?" Minato remarked.

"Yeah. It must be fate," Hamuko added.

"Fate? Yeah, right," Yukari laughed. "Still, I'm surprised."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Junpei remembered something. "I heard that the three of you came to school together this morning. What's up with that? You three already fast buddies or something more… intimate? C'mon, gimme the dirt!"

"I-Intimate!?" Hamuko gasped in shock.

"Bloody high schoolers and their bloody rumors," Minato hung his head in disgust.

"Wh-What are you talking about!?" Yukari stuttered, blushing beet red. "We just live in the same dorm and Mitsuru-sempai asked me to escort them this morning, nothing more!"

"She's right, Junpei-san," Minato added. "Beside we barely know each other."

"It's only the first day and there are already false rumors about me…" Hamuko sulked.

"Great, now I'm worried," Yukari sighed. As she shook her head, she suddenly remembered something.

"Oh! Minato-san. You didn't say anything to anyone about… you know what, did you?" she whispered.

_ 'Wait, why is she bringing that up now? And in front of Junpei?'_ he thought. He glanced over to his left to see that Junpei had a peculiar look on his face, the kind one gets when daydreaming. _'Oh, crap. I know what he's thinking. That's just peachy. Just what I need: people having perverse thoughts about me and Yukari-san,'_ he rubbed his forehead.

"Um… Yukari-san…" Minato jerked his head in Junpei's direction. Yukari looked over at Junpei and saw that same look. She recognized that look and realized what she had said.

"W-Wait a minute! Don't get the wrong idea!" Yukari yelled at Junpei.

"L-Last night…?" Junpei asked in a bewildered voice.

"Ew!" Hamuko pointed at Junpei; a small trickle of blood was dripping out of his nose.

_'What the hell!? This just keeps getting better!'_ Minato banged his head on his desk.

"Hey! Hey! Listen! I just met Minato-san last night! There's absolutely nothing between us!" Yukari shouted. "Geez…" Yukari took a deep breath and walked over to Junpei and grabbed him by the collar. "Listen up. If you start any rumors about me, Minato-san, or Hamuko-chan, I swear I'll take that hat of yours and ram it down your throat!" she threatened the man.

"G-Got it!" Junpei quickly and wisely replied. Yukari let go of Junpei's collar and turned back to the twins.

"Well, now that that's taken care of, I need to go take of something for the archery team. You two can find your way back to the dorm, right?" Yukari asked.

"We'll be fine, Yukari-san; go take care of your business," Minato replied.

"Good. I see you two later," Yukari turned on her heels and left the classroom.

After Yukari left, Junpei let out a sigh of relief and straightened his collar. "Man… No one takes rumors seriously, anyways," Junpei commented. "She's so paranoid…"

"She just wears her heart on her sleeve, Junpei-san, just like my imoto," Minato replied.

"What!?" Junpei's eyes widened as he took a step back.

"Yup. I've been known to go through drastic mood changes in a matter of seconds," Hamuko shrugged like it was no big deal.

"Oh, crap," Junpei sighed. "Last thing we need is TWO Yuka-tans…"

"Don't worry, Junpei-san; so long as you're not being perverse or evil, I think you'll live," Minato said.

"Live? Don't you mean 'I'll be fine?'" Junpei wanted clarification.

"Nope," Minato smirked. Junpei hung his head in defeat, but quickly shrugged it off.

"Enough about that! It's your first day here, and people already are talking about the two of you! Believe it or not, Yuka-tan's pretty popular around here. If you two are already in her circle, then you must be really awesome!" Junpei gave them a thumbs up. "This is gonna be a fun year; I can feel it!"

* * *

After saying goodbye to Junpei, the Arisato twins left school and headed over to Iwatodai station to snag some dinner. They got some burgers from a placed called 'Wild-Duck Burger.' The burgers were pretty good; however, the fries were kinda soggy. After getting some food, the two returned to the dorm, tired from their day at school.

"Welcome back," Misturu looked up from the book she was reading.

"Evening, Mitsuru-sempai," Hamuko replied. "How was your first day?"

"It went rather well," she replied. "How about you two?"

"It was a blast," Minato smiled. "Met the teachers, chatted with random folk, and the usual."

"I've heard that your daibo is your homeroom teacher; is that true?" Mitsuru asked.

_'I'm not surprised. Since she's the Kirijo heir, and that her tou-san and my jii-sama are acquaintances, she's probably privy to all kinds of information,'_ Minato smirked.

"Hai, that's true," Hamuko answered.

"I see…" Mitsuru closed her eyes in thought. "Well, I guess it should be okay, as long as she treats you the same as any other student. However, I should warn you; if I find out that Toriumi-sensei has been fabricating your grades or giving you a free pass, you'll all answer to ME, got it?" she glared the siblings down.

_'Holy crap! That woman's scary as hell!'_ Minato felt the sweat crawling down his back.

"H-hai!" both of them stuttered out.

"Excellent. Now then, I'm guessing you're tired after a long first day; why don't you two head upstairs and relax?" Mitsuru suggested.

"Hai," Hamuko replied, and then turned to her brother. "Hey, aniki, want to come hang out in my room for awhile?" she asked.

"Oh, that reminds me; dorm policy explicitly says that boys are not allowed in any of the girls' rooms and vice-versa," Mitsuru informed them. "However… seeing as how you two are twin siblings, I suppose an exception can be made. But I expect you two to only go into each other's rooms, and be back in your assigned rooms by curfew. Violating the policy any more than that would be ill-advised."

"Understood, sempai. Well, I hope you have a good evening," Minato bowed to Mitsuru.

"Same to you," Mitsuru went back to her book.

* * *

Minato and Hamuko were sitting on Hamuko's bed, going over the day's events and about how the first day went. "…I can't believe that Ekoda-sensei! He threatened to take my MP3 player away just because I didn't know exactly how many works Shakespeare wrote! Who does he think he is!?" Hamuko griped about her teacher.

"I seriously think there's something rammed up his rear end," Minato frowned.

"Most likely a baseball bat…" she grumbled.

"That's probably true," Minato chuckled.

"Anyways, what do you think of Gekkoukan in general?" she asked.

"I think it's a nice school. I can see why our parents loved it," Minato replied.

"Yeah, me too," Hamuko sighed. "Let's make them proud, okay?"

"Okay," Minato promised. "Now to a new topic; have you noticed the bugs crawling around the dorm?"

"I have. What's up with that?" Hamuko complained.

"I honestly don't know. There were quite a bit in the bathroom this morning. Had to flood the tub a couple of times to get rid of them. Why don't they fumigate the place?" Minato wanted to know.

"Ew! That's just nasty, aniki! Bugs in the bathroom!" Hamuko shivered. "I thought this was supposed to have high standards, not sub-standard quality."

"Yeah, I…" something caught Minato's eye.

"Hamuko… don't move. There's a bug right now on the book next to you…" Minato whispered.

"WHAT!?" Hamuko screeched and looked down to see that a rather large cockroach was crawling around on her book. "GET RID OF IT!!!" she ordered.

Before Minato could act, Hamuko acted on instinct and quickly picked up the book and threw it away. It crashed into a lamp that was hanging in the corner of the ceiling, breaking it. The book and lamp fell to the ground with a loud crashing sound

"Is everything okay in there!?" Yukari called over from next door.

"Everything's okay; I just saw a bug," Hamuko replied.

"Okay. You get it?" Yukari asked.

"I think so!" Hamuko shouted.

"Good! I hate bugs!" Yukari's shudder could be heard through the wall.

"Did we get it, aniki?" Hamuko asked, clutching her brother.

"Let me check," Minato said.

He went over to the broken lamp and book and shifted through the pile. As he sorted through the mess, something odd stuck out. _'What the heck? What's this doing here!?' _Minato thought. "Hamuko, I found something, and I don't think you're going to like it," he said. Minato picked up the object and showed it to Hamuko; it was a video camera the size of an MP3 player. It had been completely shattered beyond repair, incapable of sending or receiving a signal.

"What in the world? Why did someone put that in here?" Hamuko whispered.

"I don't know; I spotted some cameras in the hallways, but I assumed that was a security system. And if this room was bugged, then my room and possibly all the rooms may be as well," Minato theorized.

"You think there are anymore cameras or possibly a microphone in here, aniki?" Hamuko asked with worry.

"Probably not. More bugs mean more chances of getting caught," Minato solemnly replied.

"What on earth is going on here, aniki?" Hamuko cringed. "First there's other people active during Green Midnight, then there's Yukari-chan attempting to pull that gun on us."

"Then there are the security cameras in what are suppose to be very private places," Minato continued the list. "I'm smelling a conspiracy here, Hamuko, and I don't like it. I wish Naoko and jii-sama were here; they're way better at this detective stuff than you and I could ever be."

"So, what do we do aniki? Do we go to jii-sama about this? What about Naoko? Or the police?" Hamuko sighed.

"I'm thinking for now we play along. There are too many unknowns here. Besides, jii-sama is on a big case right now," said Minato. "He'll be undercover for months. And we can't just drag Naoko here. And we all know how reliable the police can be…"

"And what about the cameras?"

"Well, I'm going to hold onto this one," Minato put the broken camera in his pocket. "I'll also locate and disable the one they probably put in my room."

"Sounds like a plan," Hamuko nodded in agreement.

"Good. So, how about we go get a snack or something? All this tension is making me hungry," Minato's stomach rumbled.

"Silly aniki, always thinking with his stomach," Hamuko giggled.

"Hey!" Minato cried out in fake anger.

* * *

Downstairs in the kitchen, the twins were preparing a couple of sandwiches when they heard a couple of voices. Hamuko took a look beyond the divide that separated the lounge from the kitchen and saw that Mitsuru-sempai was talking to a man her age. He had short, silver hair, and wore the Gekkoukan uniform with a red sweater-vest overtop his shirt and had leather gloves on his hands. He wore the same armband that Yukari and Mitsuru had been wearing previously and had a silver gun holstered to his belt.

"Aniki! Get over here!" Hamuko motioned him over.

Minato came over to where his sister was and the two spied on the conversation.

"…the newspaper? There's a lot going on," the young man told Mitsuru.

"…I know," Mitsuru sighed. "People who had no problems before are suddenly developing acute cases of Apathy Syndrome…"

_'Apathy Syndrome? That mysterious illness that has been inflicting the city on and off for the last several years that basically turns those inflicted with it into mindless zombies? I remember jii-sama telling me about it and how there's yet to be a cure to be found, or even anything about the illness itself,'_ Minato recalled.

"I've seen it in the news quite often lately," Mitsuru continued. "They say it's due to stress, but…"

"Yeah, right," the silver-haired student spat. "It has to be THEM. Otherwise, it's not worth my time…"

_ 'Them? Something or someone's purposely causing the Apathy Syndrome and Mitsuru-sempai and this new kid know the core cause?'_

"You have a one-track mind," Mitsuru scolded the kid. "Will you be okay on your own? The Chairman will be here for the next few days, but after that, I can…"

"Don't worry; I'm just getting a little practice," the kid waved off Mitsuru's concern as he walked out the door.

"This isn't a game, Akihiko," Mitsuru sighed as she went back to her book.

_'Well, that was a lucky break,'_ a pleased Minato though._ 'That helps quite a bit.'_

Quietly, Minato led Hamuko back upstairs.

* * *

Back in Hamuko's room, the two discussed what they had overheard and tried to piece everything they had learned together.

"So, overall, what do you think is going on here?" Hamuko asked her brother.

"Well, piecing together everything we've learned so far, this is what I think is going on here," Minato took a deep breath. "You recall the Apathy Syndrome, correct?" he asked, to which Hamuko nodded. "Good; jii-sama once told me that next to nothing is known about it and it only seems to be concentrated here in Iwatodai. Judging from what that Akihiko person told Mitsuru-sempai, it seems like those two and possibly Yukari know who or what is behind the Apathy Syndrome."

"You think that it's terrorists?" Hamuko interrupted.

"Well, from what Akihiko-san said, the fact that Mitsuru-sempai and Yukari-san are active during Green Midnight, and that Akihiko-san is most likely a part of their 'group', I'm under the impression that the Apathy Syndrome is inflicted by 'The Beasts of the Night'," Minato theorized.

"The Beasts of the Night!?" Hamuko gasped. "But… if that's true, why hasn't cases of Apathy Syndrome appeared in other places as well; we both know the Beasts are around everywhere."

"Who knows? My guess would be that there ARE cases of the disease around the world, but have yet to be recognized. As for why the cases are concentrated here, I'd say that either the Beasts come from this area, whatever controls the Beasts is here, or possibly both."

"That does make sense. But then, what's the role Mitsuru-sempai and the others are playing here?" Hamuko wondered.

"I believe that they're in opposition of the Beasts and whatever they answer to. Mitsuru-sempai said something about a 'Chairman'… Most likely their leader or something to that effect. He or she probably rounded them up to oppose the beasts," Minato nodded.

"What I don't get is why not tell the police or the military. I thought that only you, myself, Naoko-chan, and jii-sama were the only ones active during Green Midnight, but I was wrong. So, why not get those who are active and in the right positions to help? Why use teenagers?" Hamuko asked.

"Maybe it's because there's something special about them? I don't really know," Minato frowned. "And what's our role in this? Were we really brought in here by accident or did this 'Chairman' bring us in and is using the security system to see if we're 'worthy' of joining the group that's been set up?" Minato rubbed his chin.

"I'm not liking this one bit, aniki. I think jii-sama needs to know," Hamuko clenched her skirt in her hands.

"Okay. We'll email him everything we've learned so far, but tell him we're handling this for now," Minato clutched her shoulder.

"Arigato, aniki," Hamuko hugged him.

"Anything for you, imoto," Minato hugged her back. _'Just what the hell is going on here? Tou-san… Kaa-san… please, help us if you can…'

* * *

_

_**Green Midnight Dictionary:**_

**Tou-san-** Dad

**Kaa-san-** Mom

**Gomen- **Sorry

**Daibo- **Godmother

**Alma Mater- **Latin for 'Nourishing Mother'. It is the place one had the schooling done and graduated from. Usually used when referring to colleges, universities, and graduate schools, but can also be used for high schools as well.

**Beasts of the Night-** The creatures that haunt Green Midnight/the Dark Hour. Fans of Persona 3 will know these as the Shadows. (It will be explained later why they are referred to as such by Hamuko and Minato.)

Okay, so I've tweaked things. Toriumi is now the twin's godmother, in addition to being their teacher. Naoto is the Arisato twins' younger sister. There is a reason why I did those things, which you'll have to wait and see to find out. Well, I hope you enjoyed and please review.


	3. Chapter 3: Invocation

Welcome to Chapter 3 of Green Midnight! I apologize for the long delay; the snowstorms that hit the East Coast have kept me busy for the last week. But now I'm free and here's a new post! Now to reviews!

DeathNoteMaker: Eh, I'm not a huge fan of threesomes. Love triangles make for a good story, but threesomes? It's okay, but not my cup of tea.

mangafreak7793: Thank you. Am I going to make Persona 1 & 2 references? Most likely. What they are, I've yet to decide.

Echo the Eternal Swordmaster: Both my beta and I LOL'd at that part as well; personally, that was my favorite part of the whole chapter.

Klein: Originally, I had intended to use Minako instead of Hamuko, but my beta was tearing her hair out over Minato and Minako being almost identical in spelling. And, to be honest, I actually kinda prefer the name Haumko, and it does rhyme with Minato and Naoko/Naoto. However, if enough of you want the name change, I'll see what I can do.

ravenwingcorps: I remember you from YouTube! You requested 'To Zanarkand' from FFX. Nice to see you here. And did your really inspire SamJaz to get into FanFiction? He's the big reason why I'm doing this fic, so I guess I owe you some thanks as well.

Patcheresu: Why thank you. And yes, I'm aware of Mitsuru's 'EXECUTION!' To be honest, Mitsuru scares me at times....

personazero: I was wondering the same thing. Why hadn't anyone brought in both protagonists as siblings? I mean, I've seen one or two stories where they both come in, but they become lovers. And other stories only brought in the Female Protagonist as an afterthought after she was revealed last year. Therefore, I'm kinda proud that I'm the first to start a story with both Protagonists intended to be in the story, and as siblings.

Anyways, time for the chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

**_Chapter 3:_**** Invocation**

After Minato left his sister, he went back to his room and managed to find a camera similar to the one he found in Hamuko's room. He then disabled it so that it couldn't be used. After that, he immediately emailed his grandfather everything that had happened, hoping that he would have some advice on the situation. He doubted he'd get anything back immediately, much less anything useful, but if it helped calm Hamuko down, then he'd do it. After sending the email off, he immediately went to bed, too tired to think about anything else.

The next morning, Minato and Hamuko were on the train to school, mulling over last night's events. Minato decided to strike up a conversation. "I heard from jii-sama," said Minato.

"You did!?" Hamuko gasped.

"Yeah; I checked my email this morning and found a message; I was surprised to see that he responded even while undercover." Minato replied. "It was a quick message, though."

"What did jii-sama say?" Hamuko asked.

"He said that we should stay alert and watch each other's backs. He also said that we can and should trust Mitsuru-sempai and that if we needed any more help, we were to contact Naoko," said Minato.

"That's it?" Hamuko asked, sad that there wasn't more.

"Yeah, that's it. Gomen," answered Minato.

"Well, I had hoped for more, but when life gives you lemons…" said Hamuko.

"That is true," Minato nodded. "But let's worry about all that later; for now, we have school."

* * *

The school day was passing by very slowly. It was going by so fast that by the time Toriumi-sensei had appeared for her class, Minato had his head on his desk, on the verge of sleeping. Just when sleep was about to take hold… "Psst!" Junpei woke him. "Who's Toriumi-sensei's favorite author?"

"Um… that'd be Yoshimura-sensei," Minato mumbled.

"Yoshimura," Junpei said out loud.

"That's right!" Toriumi smiled. "So you were listening to me after all!"

"Eheheh…" Junpei rubbed his head in embarrassment. "You know how I like to pay attention." When Toriumi got reabsorbed into her lecture, Junpei got Minato's attention.

"Man, you saved my bacon, Minato!" Junpei thanked him. "I owe you big time!"

_'You can owe me by letting me go to sleep,'_ Minato thought, vocally responding with "You're welcome. Can I go to sleep now?"

"Do what you wish, Minato," Junpei nodded, grinning.

_ 'Heh, only one day and he's dropped the honorific. He must think highly of me,'_ was Minato's last thought as he drifted to sleep.

* * *

That night, the Arisatos arrived back at the dorm to see that Yukari was talking to an older man. He had long brown hair and wore a brown suit with a dark brown sweater underneath. He also had on a pair of glasses that had round lenses. He had a bit of a goofy grin on his face, like he was some sort of clown.

"Oh, they're back!" Yukari announced. The man looked over the twins as he stood up.

"So these are our new guests…" the man rubbed his chin.

"Um… can we help you?" Hamuko asked.

"Oh. Gomen," the man smiled. "I got lost in thought. My name is Ikutsuki Shuji. I'm the Chairman of the Board for Gekkoukan High." Ikutsuki extended his hand. Hamuko eagerly shook his hand. Ikutsuki then extended it to Minato.

_'Something's not quite right about him. This guy kinda gives me the creeps,'_ Minato thought as he reluctantly shook Ikutsuki's hand. "Evening, Izuki-san," he said, not letting his thoughts show.

"It's 'Ikutsuki'," Ikutsuki corrected him. "Hard to say, isn't it?"

"It is, Ikuski-san," said Hamuko.

"And that is why I don't like introducing myself; even I get tongue-tied sometimes," Ikutsuki chuckled. "Please, have a seat." All of them took seats in the lounge, with Minato sitting next to Yukari, Hamuko next to Minato, and Ikutsuki opposite all three of them.

"I must apologize about the confusion regarding your accommodations," said Ikutsuki. "However, it may take awhile before you're assigned your real dorms. Is there anything you'd like to ask?"

_'Hm… if I play my cards right, I might be able to learn something. And he said he's the Chairman of the Board? Would that make him the same 'Chairman' Mitsuru-sempai mentioned?'_ thought Minato.

"I have a question. Would it be okay for aniki and I to actually stay here? I like being with him," Hamuko requested.

"Well… this is a dorm for 'special students'," Ikutsuki replied. "I'll see what I can do, but I cannot promise anything."

"Who else lives here?" Minato asked. "So far, I've only met Yukari-san and Mitsuru-sempai."

"Well, besides those two, there's a senior named Sanada Akihiko. With you and your imoto-chan, that makes five in total," Ikutsuki informed them.

"Ah, okay," Minato nodded. "So why exactly are you here?"

"To welcome you two, of course; every spring, I go around and welcome the new students," Ikutsuki smiled. "Although, to be completely honest, I do have other business here as well." Ikutsuki then turned to Yukari. "While we're on that topic, where is Mitsuru?" he asked.

"I believe she's upstairs doing things," Yukari replied.

"As diligent as always," Ikutsuki nodded. "It wouldn't hurt for her to come down and say hello, though." He then refocused his attention on the Arisatos. "Are there any other questions?" he asked as he cleaned his glasses.

_'Hm… his guard seems to be down,' _Minato observed._ 'This might be a good opportunity to get some info.'_ "Well, I did see something the other night," he said.

Ikutsuki's eyes widened in surprise and Yukari suddenly paled _'Ah, it seems like I got them,' _Minato smirked.

"You saw something strange? Like what?" Ikutsuki inquired.

Before Minato could say anything, Hamuko beat him to the punch. "Bugs. Lots of them. Does the dorm have an infestation problem or something?" Hamuko asked.

Ikutsuki immediately relaxed and color returned to Yukari.

"Ah, yes. I must apologize about that. We meant to fumigate the place prior to the start to the semester, but other things came up. I promise you that it'll be taken care of in the near future," Ikutsuki promised.

_'And now to really get him.'_

"I did find some very peculiar bugs, though," Minato said as he reached into his pocket. "Can you explain these?"

Minato pulled two items out of his pocket: the broken camera he found in Hamuko's room and the camera he had disabled in his own room. Yukari gasped and Ikutsuki seemed a bit fazed.

"W-Where did you find those?" Yukari asked.

"In our rooms. Honestly, I only found these by luck, but still…" Minato glared at Ikutsuki.

"Ah, yes, you must forgive me about that," Ikutsuki adjusted his glasses. "Before Mitsuru, Yukari, and Akihiko moved in, this dorm was used for a very different purpose. This was the dorm where we kept the special needs students. Cameras were installed to keep an eye on them at all times, for some were prone to violent fits and attacks. Once we cleared them out and Mitsuru and Akihiko moved in, we disabled the bedroom cameras, but never saw a need to remove them."

"This was a special needs dorm?" Hamuko asked. "What happened to the previous residents?"

"That is correct. Don't worry, though; we've moved them to a much better and improved facility," Ikutsuki assured her.

"Ah, okay," Hamuko nodded.

_'Why is it that I feel that I'm not quite getting the whole truth?'_ thought Minato. _'Regardless, I think I've probably pushed as far as I can for now.'_

"Okay, that clears up a lot, but I warn you; if I find out that you've been videotaping me, my imoto, or any of the others without our knowledge, I will personally see to your punishment," Minato threatened as he glared down Ikutsuki.

Yukari was beginning to sweat a bit and Ikutsuki, oddly enough, seemed intrigued. "I completely understand, Minato-kun. Forgive me for making a bad first impression," Ikutsuki nodded. "I shall make it up to you later."

"Well, as long as we're clear, I think we're settled for now," replied Minato.

"Ah, that's good," Ikutsuki nodded as he stood up. "Then, I hope you two have a successful school year. Again, I apologize for the cameras; it was bad judgment not to have them removed sooner."

"You're forgiven… for now," Minato replied.

"And that is all I can ask for. Now then, I guess you all must be tired from all the excitement. I recommend that you turn in early. As they say, 'The early bird gets the bookworm!'"

Hamuko and Yukari's faces cringed up at the bad pun.

_'Holy mother of pearl! That was god awful!'_ Minato's eye twitched.

"Please forgive the bad pun," Ikutsuki chuckled. "If you'll excuse me…" Ikutsuki took his leave upstairs to locate Mitsuru.

"Yukari-chan, please don't tell me he does that ALL the time…" Hamuko groaned.

"Sadly, he does. You'll eventually get used to them," Yukari sighed.

"Oh, heavens, I really hope that doesn't happen," Minato hung his head in annoyance.

* * *

Minato decided to crash early, not really in the mood after dealing with Ikutsuki and his rather… unique sense of humor. And he was dreaming a great dream. He and Hamuko were taking turns bashing Ikutsuki in the head with giant paper fans. Just as Dream Hamuko hit Dream Ikutsuki so hard he hit the ground, a mysterious, blue door appeared not too far away from Minato. "Well, that's weird. Where did that come from?" Minato asked. As if to answer his question, a voice echoed in the air.

**"Please, come in,"** a gravely, masculine voice called out.

"Well, okay…" Minato seemed confused. He approached the door and opened it, allowing bright light to blind him. As he shielded his eyes, he entered through the door, not knowing what was on the other side. The next thing Minato knew, he was sitting in a chair. As his sight returned to him, he was able to see where he had ended up. The room he had ended up in apparently was a large elevator that was going up; he judged this from the way the scenery was traveling. The elevator had metal grates for walls, allowing Minato to see all around him. There were several pieces of furniture in the elevator, covered in blue sheets. The floor was covered with blue velvet carpet. The table in front of Minato was perfectly round, covered in a blue sheet. On the other side of the table was a blue velvet loveseat. Sitting in the loveseat was an older gentleman. He was bald and wore an old-fashioned suit. He was hunched over in a way that gave him the appearance of a hunched back. His most defining feature, however, was his nose. It was easily a meter long and quite pointy.

_'Dear god, his nose is long!'_ Minato gasped.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, my dear young man," the long-nosed man greeted Minato. "My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance." The man known as Igor gestured to his left. Standing to his left was a young woman. She had platinum blond hair and yellow eyes. She wore a dress colored the same blue as the objects in the elevator. Elbow-length gloves adorned her hands and knee-length boots were on her feet, both of which were blue as well. She had a blue cap on her head and had a neutral expression on her face.

"This is my assistant, Elizabeth. She's a resident here, like myself," Igor introduced her.

"Pleased to meet you," the woman bowed.

"Um… nice to meet the both of you," Minato reluctantly smiled. "I am Arisato Minato."

"Excellent," Igor smiled.

"So, where exactly am I? Last thing I recall, my imoto and I were beating down the Chairman with paper fans, and I know that was a dream. So what is this?" Minato asked.

"Ah, that is a good question. You see, this place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter," Igor explained.

"Mind and matter? Dream and reality? Are you saying I'm in Limbo?" Minato asked, somewhat worried.

"No, not exactly…" Igor chuckled. "You could say that this place is where everything meets. Where all things start and all things end."

"So, it's like a central hub for all of existence?" Minato asked.

"Precisely," Igor nodded. "Anyways, it's been years since we had a guest. I am glad that we now have a visitor once more." Igor waved his hand and a red book appears on the table between them. It opens up to reveal a very familiar document to Minato.

_ 'Wait a second! That's the contract that weird kid made me sign the other day!'_ Minato realized.

"I see that you recognize this," Igor smiled.

"Hai. What exactly is it? The boy said something about a contract…" said Minato.

"It's exactly as the contracts states; that you vow to take responsibility for any and all choices that you make," Igor explained. "Only those that have signed such a contract can enter this Velvet Room; henceforth, you shall be welcome here. You are destined to hone your unique ability and you will require my help to do so. I only ask that you do one thing in return…"

Igor looked Minato right in the eye. _'Heavens, this man is creepy! And it makes his nose look even bigger!'_ he gasped._ 'And what did he mean by my unique ability?'_

"All I ask is that you abide by the contract, and assume responsibility for the choices that you make," said Igor. "Do you understand?"

"I think so, but what is this 'unique ability' you mentioned?" Minato asked.

"Hehehe. You will find out soon enough," Igor grinned. "Elizabeth." Elizabeth stepped forward and placed something on the table. It was a small blue key with a butterfly engraving on one end.

"This is for you," said Elizabeth.

"I ask that you hold onto this," Igor requested.

"Okay…" Minato pocketed the key.

"Until we meet again…" Igor smirked.

The next thing Minato knew, all was turning white, and all went blank.

* * *

All of a sudden, Minato found himself back in his room, fully dressed. It was already morning and he felt quite dizzy.

_'What on earth? I think I'm awake, but I don't remember dressing myself. And then there's that weird dream with Long Nose-san,'_ Minato rubbed his forehead. Out of habit, he shoved his hands into his pockets and felt something weird in one of them. _'Wait a second. Last time I checked, my pockets were empty. You don't think…'_

Minato pulled the object out of his pocket and gasped. In his hand was the very same blue key that was given to him in that weird dream last night. _'What in the world!? How did I get this? Was that really just a dream?' _Minato questioned himself. Before Minato could ponder any of this further, someone began knocking on the door.

"It's Yukari. Are you ready to go?"

"Sure, just a minute!" he called out. _'Ugh, I'll just worry about this later,'_ Minato decided as he stashed the key back in his pocket.

* * *

Minato's thoughts were so wrapped up regarding the blue key he found that the rest of the day was tuned out from him. He vaguely recalled meeting Junpei in front of the school, Ekoda-sensei talking about something called 'Monogate' or something like that, and Hamuko and Yukari trying to get his attention. As soon as school ended, he left, not paying attention to anything else, like he was on auto-pilot. After arriving back at the dorm, he spent the rest of the day trying to figure out the meaning of the dream and Igor's words, only venturing out for the bathroom and dinner. Minato even went to bed early, hoping the weird long-nosed man would appear in his dreams once more.

However, he didn't dream about the Velvet Room and its inhabitants. Tonight, he dreamed about Yukari and Junpei. Yukari was running around, chasing Junpei around with a giant hammer. Apparently, Junpei had accidentally peeked up Yukari's skrit, and now Yukari was screeching for his blood. The whole thing had Minato in stitches.

"I'm going to kill you, Stupei!" Dream Yukari shouted.

"Aaah!" Dream Junpei shouted as he ran as fast as he could. Dream Yukari jumped into the air and swung her hammer as hard as she could. Dream Junpei managed to dodge, causing Dream Yukari to hit the ground instead. The force of the hammer hitting the ground so hard caused everything to shake, causing Minato to fall.

"Augh!" Minato screamed as he fell. After blacking out for a second, Minato shook his head and looked around. He was back in his room, on the floor, which meant he was awake. _'What on earth? Did the dream really startle me that much? Or was there really some kind of quake just now?'_ Minato frowned. Just then, someone rapped on the door several times.

"Wake up!" Yukari shouted from the other side of the door. "I'm sorry, but I'm coming in!" Yukari apparently had a key with her for she unlocked the door and came inside. She also had several weapons on her person. The gun was strapped to her thigh once more. She also had a quiver full of arrows and a large bow hanging from her back. Also strapped to her back seemed to be a black pole with a blade on one end. In her left hand, she held what appeared to be a well-used rapier. _'Wow, she's armed to the tooth!'_ Minato gasped. Yukari noticed Minato's shocked expression and spoke before he could.

"I don't have time to explain; we have to get out of here, now!" Yukari warned.

"What the devil's going on here, Yukari!? What's with all the weapons?" Minato asked, not caring for respect or honorifics at the moment. Just then, the building violently shook, knocking Yukari to the ground. It was at this moment that Minato realized that everything was tinted green.

_'Oh, hell no! Its Green Midnight! Which means… No! Not here! Not now!'_ his eyes widened. Minato quickly got up and helped Yukari to her feet. "Yukari, we have to get out of here, now!" Minato ordered.

"I know! We'll get your imoto and leave through the backdoor downstairs!" Yuarki suggested.

"Got it!" Minato nodded. As Minato quickly threw on his boots, Yukari handed him the rapier that she was holding.

"Take this, just in case," she suggested. Minato took the rapier in hand and gave a couple of swings with it.

_'Not the best choice out there, but it'll do,'_ he thought. The building shook once more, causing Minato and Yukari to stumble.

"Let's go!" Yukari barked. The two of them ran out of his room and down the hallway and made their way to the stairs.

"Aniki!" a voice called out. Hamuko was quickly dashing down the stairs and flung herself into her brother's arms. "Aniki, they're here! The Beasts of the Night are here! What do we do!?" she demanded to know.

"We have to get out of here, Hamuko," Minato ordered. "Stick with us."

"Okay, aniki," Haumko nodded.

"Hamuko-chan, please take this. Just in case," Yukari handed her the pole that she had on her back.

"A naginata?" Hamuko took the weapon. "Well, it's like a baton, so I guess I can use it." Another quake shook the building.

"Now let's get out of here!" Minato ordered.

Minato and the girls ran downstairs, Yukari leading the way. They managed to make it to the backdoor, behind the kitchen. "Alright, we should be safe now," Yukari breathed a sigh of relief.

As Minato reached for the door, Yukari's hand went up to her ear. "Hai! I read you!" Yukari shouted.

Minato noticed that Yukari had on an earpiece.

_'A radio? Who's she talking to?'_ he wondered.

"What!?" she gasped. Just then, loud, forceful knocks came from the door, like someone was trying to break down. "Crap! We can't go that way!" Minato growled.

"And our sempai are both at the front, fighting! Where do we go now?" Yukari was beginning to panic.

"Can we go up?" Hamuko asked. "Surely there must be a way out there."

"Hai! There's an emergency fire escape from the roof; we can use that!" Yukari remembered. The door was slammed against again, showing signs that it could buckle at any time.

"Then let's get out of here before they get us!" Minato ordered. The three of them quickly made their way over to the stairs and began ascending them; as they climbed, Minato took the opportunity to get some answers out of Yukari.

"Yukari-san, how exactly are you guys involved with the Beasts of the Night?" Minato needed to know.

"Beasts of the Night?" Yukari was confused.

"You know. Black blobs with weird masks. Sometimes takes the shape of animals, statues, or other inanimate objects," Hamuko described.

"You know of the Shadows!?" Yukari gasped.

"Oh, is that what you call them?" Minato asked.

"Yeah, but, how do two know of them?" she was shocked. **BOOM!** The dorm violently shook once more, nearly causing all three to fall down.

"That's a story for another time; we have to keep moving!" shouted Minato. The three managed to make it to the top floor, which was pretty much empty, with only a single, inconspicuous door to be found.

"There! If we go out through there, we'll be okay!" Yukari pointed to the door.

Minato opened the door and went through it first, rapier ready to go. Hamuko followed, her naginata clenched in both hands. Yukari followed behind her, her bow already notched with an arrow. The dorm's roof was completely barren except for a fire ladder that was rolled up nearby.

"It's quiet out here," Minato frowned. "Where are they?"

"I think the sempai finished them off," Yukari breathed a sigh of relief. "I think we're okay for now…" **BOOM!** The ground shook once more, knocking the three to the ground.

"What on earth!?" Hamuko shouted. The building began repeatedly shaking, as if something was climbing up the side of it. All of them looked to the far side of the building to see a black hand reaching over the ledge. Several more hands reached over the ledge, gripping on tight. One hand in particular held up a blue mask with the Roman numeral for '1' engraved on it. The entire mass pulled itself onto the roof, revealing that it was nothing more than a collection of arms.

"What on earth…" Minato gasped.

The mass of arms then pulled out several large blades from out of nowhere, an eerie glint shining from them. "They never did that before!" Hamuko gasped.

The monster's mask looked right at the three teens, an evil twinkle in its eyeholes.

_'There's no way I can handle something like that! And I don't think all three of us can take it!'_ Minato worried. The monster then made its move and charged towards them, blades poised to kill. Minato and Hamuko readied their weapons, steeled to fight against the hopeless situation. Yukari dropped her bow and drew her gun.

"Hah… Hah…" she breathed heavily as she put the gun's barrel to her forehead. The monster lunged at Minato, who jumped back to dodge the blades. It then swung down at Hamuko, who blocked with her naginata. Yukari, observing the whole thing, was badly trembling as she tried to summon courage. "I… I have to do this…" she whispered.

As Hamuko struggled against the monster's blade, she happened to look back and see Yukari trembling, the gun aimed at her head. "Yukari! What are you doing!?" Hamuko yelled. "Don't do it!"

"We can win this, Yukari! Don't kill yourself! I promise you this won't end with our deaths!" Minato deflected a slash from another blade.

"Aaaah!" Yukari screamed as she pulled the trigger.

Instead of her head exploding into mush, columns of blue light shot up around Yukari. The monster took its focus off the twins and threw a sword at Yukari. It hit the gun, knocking it and Yukari to the ground. Yukari blacked out and the gun skidded over to Minato.

"Yukar… Augh!" Hamuko tried to rush to Yukari's aid, but the monster grabbed her by the throat.

Minato rushed forward to save his sister, but was knocked back by the monster.

"M-minato…" Hamuko choked out, tears in her eyes.

Minato could only look in horror as Hamuko was being choked to death; with Yukari out cold and the sempai still fighting, that left just Minato to save Hamuko. As he struggled to his feet, he noticed Yukari's gun right in front of him and the young boy Minato encountered when he first arrived appeared before him.

"Go on…" the boy whispered. Minato picked up the gun and looked at it. He looked over at Yukari, who was beginning to wake up, and at Hamuko, who was starting to black out.

_ 'What was she trying to do? And would it work?'_ he thought.

"Yukari… Hamuko…" Minato sadly whispered.

"Do it…" the boy commanded.

_'I hope this works…'_ Minato closed his eyes. Minato put the gun to his right temple, his breathing rattled. The gun shook in his hand as he attempted to summon the courage to pull the trigger. As he pulled the trigger, he instinctively whispered a single word.

"Per… So… Na…"

* * *

_**Green Midnight Dictionary:**_

**Limbo:** There are many definitions for this. However, a simple one is that it is Purgatory, the place between Life and Death.

And so ends the chapter! What's going to happen? Find out next time! And happy Valentine's Day/Chinese New Year to you all!


	4. Chapter 4: Bonds

Welcome to another chapter of Green Midnight! I apologize for the long wait, but I wanted to make sure I got my battle scene right, for they are my weakest point. Anyways, time to address the reviewers!

mangafreak7793: Does Hamuko have the Wild Card? I'm not telling. Maybe she does, maybe she doesn't. Regardless, for now, she only gets one Persona. What would happen should all the Wild Cards meet? The world would be crushed under the sheer awesomeness of their power.

ravenwingcorps: Thanks. And that's a pretty cool fact. I owe you some props then, don't I?

IStartedTheFire22: Hamuko will some of the spotlight this chapter and a huge chunk of it in the next. However, this is a story from Minato's Point of View, so he's the main star of this story. However, once I get through all the exposition chapters (aka from the start up to the first visit to Tartarus), I'll be able to feature characters a bit more evenly. As for which track the story will be following, since this is Minato's story, it'll be following the male's path. However, element's of Hamuko's storyline will be incorporated into this story. For example, I have switched around roughly half of the Social Links, using Minato's Links, Hamuko's Links, and a few crafty ideas of my own to better fit my plans. More than a couple of Social Links will be DIRECTLY tied into my major plot twists that will be coming along later. What those plans are, you'll see soon enough. As for Death, only Minato holds Death. Hamuko only has natural Persona powers. But that doesn't mean she can't be a Wild Card; remember, Souji Seta was a natural Wild Card. And thanks, I try to be honest yet kind when critiquing.

Echo the Ethereal Swordmaster: Yes, I can confirm that both Theodore and Margaret will be in this story in some fashion. What their roles are will remain a mystery until then. As for what Hamuko's Persona will be named, you'll see this chapter. And your other questions have already been addressed in my other responses.

TheDatenshi: I apologize about the terms. I just wanted to integrate some Japanese into the story. Or, you can say the fourth wall occasionally glitched when translating the story from Japanese to English, haha. Also, I'm glad you actually caught that thing regarding Minato's parents, Arisato Jouhei and Shirogane-Arisato Nagi. Those were shout-outs to the Devil Summoner Series. No, Arisato Jouhei is NOT Raidou Kuzunoha the XIV. Raidou the XIV was around in the 20's. If he's still alive in this story, he's an old man. Besides, if he was Raidou the XIV, he wouldn't have died as easily as he did that night on the Moonlight Bridge. Also, Nagi was a shout-out to another Devil Summoner character. And, yes, Naoto being Minato's sibling makes a TON of sense. And I will say this: in this story, Minato's parents were both detectives, and it was a family legacy. Is it the Kuzunoha legacy I'm talking about? My mouth's shut on that matter.

Anyways, now that I've addressed all that needed to be addressed, let's begin the new chapter! Enjoy! Also, thanks to Twilight Scribe for helping me with my battle scene and SamJaz for battle scene tips! _**

* * *

**_

**_Chapter 4:_**** Bonds**

The next thing Minato knew, his head was throbbing in pain and his vision blurry. "Uggh…" Minato held his head, his vision blurry. "Where am I?"

"Welcome back to the Velvet Room, young Minato," a raspy voice replied.

_'Oh, crap,'_ thought Minato. As his vision began to clear up, he found that he was once again in the Velvet Room, Igor and Elizabeth before him.

"It is a pleasure to see you again," Elizabeth bowed.

"Agreed. It is so nice to see you again," Igor smiled.

"What happened? The last thing I recall was pulling the trigger on Yukari-san's gun. Then nothing," Minato frowned.

"Ah, that is understandable. The stress of the situation, combined with the first use of your power, would probably lead to some memory loss. It's nothing to worry about, though," Igor explained.

"What about Yukari-san and Hamuko? Are they okay?" a worried Minato asked.

"Do not worry; they are okay," Igor assured him. "They're safe for now."

"So what exactly happened?" Minato asked.

"I could explain it, but I feel it might be easier to show you," Igor nodded. "Elizabeth." Elizabeth placed her book on the table and opened it. A ball of silver energy appeared above the book, glowing brightly in the dim room.

"Now, lean forward and watch the birth of your power, young Minato," Igor commanded.

Minato leaned towards the ball of energy and images began flashing into his head.

* * *

_"Per… So… Na."_

_**BANG!**_

_ The gun went off, but instead of turning Minato's head into a fine pink mist, what appeared to be broken blue glass shot out from the other side of his skull. It began collecting above him, shifting and roiling into the form of a metallic puppet, colored silver and white with speakers built into its chest and torso. On its back was a giant lyre and a red scarf adorned its neck. Unlike the rest of its body, the head seemed organic, bearing a resemblance to Minato, right down to the locks of white hair covering its right eye._

_**"Thou art I… and I am thou…"**__ the being spoke through the speakers built into its body. __**"From the sea of thy soul I cometh. I am Orpheus, master of strings…"**_

_ Orpheus let out a loud cry as Minato fell to his knees, clutching his head in pain as it exploded and a new being emerged from its remains. It was a black humanoid creature, clad in a cape made of silver coffins, long black coat, white gloves and boots, and a white mask that resembled a dinosaur head. On its left hip was a rather large sheath; in its right hand was an equally large katana._

_ The new creature jumped into the air, aiming right for the bunch of arms that were strangling Hamuko. It sliced off the arm that was choking her, causing her to fall to the ground. The cloaked creature then rammed its sword right through the monster's mask, shattering it into pieces, then took what remained and began wolfing it down, like it was starving._

_ Yukari, who had fully recovered, ran over to Hamuko's side. "Hamuko-chan! Are you okay?" she asked asked._

_ "I… I'm fine…" Hamuko coughed out her reply. "What… what about aniki?"_

_ Yukari turned to see that Minato was still on his knees, clutching his head. "Minato-san!" She called out._

_ Minato turned around to face Yukari, his face etched with pain. "Is... is Hamuko okay…" he whispered._

_ "She's fine," Yukari smiled._

_ "Good…" Minato's eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed. The masked creature began writhing in pain, letting out a scream. Engulfed in a flash of light, the thing transformed back into Orpheus. It looked over at Hamuko and Yukari for a second before nodding. It then transformed into blue light and dissolved over Minato._

_ "Is… Is it over?" Hamuko asked as she struggled to her feet._

_ "I… I think so," Yukari breathed a sigh of relief._

_ As if the heavens itself were answering, yet another sharp cry echoed across the eerie green landscape. Six black blobs, each with masks like the one the creature of arms had, mysteriously appeared, glaring as they surrounded the girls._

_ "Oh, crap…" Hamuko sighed as she picked up her naginata._

_ "This isn't good!" Yukari grabbed her bow and notched it. "I don't think we can take six of them at once!" She then looked over at Minato and saw that her gun was still in his hand. "Hamuko-chan! If we're to have any chance, we need to get that Evoker back!" She informed the other girl._

_ "Evoker?" Hamuko was confused._

_ "The gun," Yukari clarified._

_ "The what!? Uh… I…" Hamuko began sweating._

_ "On the count of three, we make a break for Minato, got it?" Yukari ordered._

_ Hamuko slowly nodded and readied herself._

_ "One… two… THREE!" Yukari let an arrow fly, striking one of the creatures in the eyehole. Hamuko followed up by rushing the creature. She slammed the bladed end of her weapon onto the ground and used it as a vaulting pole. Using the momentum of her weapon, she slammed both feet into the same creature's mask, forcing it back. With an opening made, she made a break for it._

_ Managing to reach Minato, she knelt down and shook him, trying to rouse him. _

_ "Aniki! Wake up! Aniki!" Hamuko pleaded._

_ "AAAH!" Hamuko turned around to see that Yukari wasn't as successful as she had been in escaping. Four of the monsters had grabbed her, one holding each limb. The other two were glaring down Hamuko, ready to go after her at a moment's notice._

_ "Yukari!" Hamuko called._

_ "Hamuko! Use the Evoker! It's our only chance!" Yukari struggled to get free from their grip._

_ "But… But I…" Hamuko paled. Shaking her nerves off, she charged towards the creatures in an attempt to save Yukari. She swung her naginata at one of the creatures, cleaving its mask in half, destroying the creature. She then ran towards the other free creature and swung, but the creature dodged and grabbed her by her hair and threw her back towards the unconscious Minato._

_ Hamuko skidded along the roof until she stopped right next to Minato. She held her head in pain, as she got back up. "Hamuko! Please! The Evoker! Use it or we die!" Yukari pleaded._

_ "I… I can't!" she cried. "I can't do it, Yukari!"_

_ "Do it for Minato!" Yukari yelled though the pain of being yanked in four directions._

_ "Aniki…" Hamuko whispered, completely unsure of what to do. While lost in her confusion, the free creature quickly slithered over to Hamuko and pinned her down._

_ "Let… me go!" she struggled to get free._

_ "Hamuko!" Yukari yelled out._

_ As she struggled, Hamuko looked over to see that the creatures were carrying Yukari over to the edge of the roof, intending to throw her off. She then looked over to Minato, who was still out cold and unable to help. In his hand was the Evoker that Yukari had pleaded Hamuko to take._

_ "Aniki…" she whispered. "Yukari…"_

_ Steeling herself, Hamuko wrapped her legs around the creature's neck and flipped it off of her, freeing herself in the process. Once free, she snagged the Evoker from Minato's grasp._

_ "Ha… ha…" she shakily held the gun, leering at it like it was a poison._

_ "HAMUKO!" Yukari yelled as she was taken dangerously close to the roof's edge._

_ Hamuko shut her eyes tight, unwilling to see the scene before her. With a shaky grip, she held the Evoker to her head the same way her brother did. She began hyperventilating, as if she were in shock. "Baa-chan… Forgive me…" she prayed._

_**BANG!**_

_ Blue glass shot out from Hamuko's head and began to combine above her. The glass took the form of a metallic puppet very similar to Minato's Orpheus. However, the puppet was clearly feminine. Instead of silver and white, it was colored gold and white. A heart-shaped lyre was hitched onto its back. Instead of short, white hair, it had long, flowing red hair. Like Orpheus, it too had a red scarf around its neck._

_**"Thou art I… and I am thou…"**__ the new puppet spoke through its speakers. __**"From the sea of thy soul I cometh; I am Eurydice, mistress of the string master. May this be the start of a beautiful masterpiece…"**_

_ Hamuko just stood there in shock; she was unable to believe she was able to call upon such a thing. The creatures also froze, holding Yukari up in the air. Seizing the opportunity, Eurydice flew over to Yukari and snatched her away from the creatures' grasp. Angry that their target had been captured, the five creatures pursued. One of them leapt into the air, hoping to reclaim what was theirs. Anticipating the attack, Eurydice pointed her palm at the attacking Shadow. A large shard of ice instantly formed in her hand and flew at the creature, killing it in an instant._

_ "Holy crap…" Hamuko uttered._

_ Eurydice flew back over to Hamuko and placed Yukari down before dissipating into light. The four remaining creatures regrouped and lurched towards the girls._

_ "Hamuko-chan, do it again!" Yukari ordered as she ran to claim her bow._

_ With a bit more confidence, Hamuko put the Evoker to her head again._

_ "Eurydice!" she called out as she pulled the trigger. Eurydice appeared once more above its master. It unhitched its lyre from its back, holding it like a sledgehammer before charging at another of the creatures and bashing it with its lyre, destroying it. Eurydice then faded away again._

_ "Three left, Hamuko-chan!" Yukari called out as she found her bow and notched it. Hamuko grabbed her naginata and charged at the remaining creatures. She swung at one of them, damaging its mask. Yukari followed it up with a well-placed shot; the arrow struck the mask, causing it to break and the creature to be destroyed. The girls then focused their attention on the two remaining creatures._

_ "Ready?" Yukari notched her bow again._

_ "I am," Hamuko readied Yukari's Evoker._

_ The two then rushed forward ready to finish the job._

_ "Bufu!"_

_ "Zio!"_

_ A shard of ice and a bolt of lightning flew at the two remaining creatures, destroying them."What happened!?" Hamuko gasped, shocked that they were destroyed._

_ "Are you two okay?" The two girls turned to see that Mitsuru and the guy she talked with the other day, Akihiko, were at the door, looking somewhat tired. Akihiko was also clutching his chest in pain._

_ "Sempai! Thank goodness!" Yukari breathed a sigh of relief._

_ "Yeah, I think we're okay," Hamuko panted. "Check on aniki…"_

_ Mitsuru spotted the unconscious Minato on the ground and rushed over to him. She looked him over, making sure he was okay. "Arisato-kohai, he's okay. He's just exhausted from what happened," Mitsuru assured her._

_ "Good. I'm tired…" Hamuko blacked out, but Yukari managed to catch her._

_ "Hamuko-chan! Is she going to be okay?" Yukari asked._

_ "She'll be fine," the silver-haired male assured her. "Between the stress of battle, using an Evoker for the first time, and the adrenaline rush, I'm surprised she didn't collapse sooner."_

_ "That's good. I wouldn't know what to tell Minato-san if all his hard work was for naught," Yukari threw Hamuko's arm over her shoulders in an attempt to keep her up.

* * *

_

"Haah!" Minato gasped as he was forcibly jerked back into his chair. The scene continued to play in the silver ball of energy being projected. Mitsuru had swung Minato's arm over her shoulders and carried him over to the others. She then apparently issued some ordered and the five of them left the roof. Elizabeth then shut the book, causing the ball to dissipate, and took possession of the book.

"Is that what really happened?" Minato asked.

"Everything you saw was exactly what had happened," said Igor.

_'Hamuko… Yukari… I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you. And Hamuko was forced to confront something she wasn't ready to face. It's all my fault,'_ Minato groaned in agony.

"I take it that the events you just witnessed were not to your liking?" Igor asked.

"Yeah," Minato sighed. "I should've protected them. Instead, I was the one who needed protecting. And Hamuko… let's just say that she doesn't have a pleasant history with firearms."

"I see…" Igor nodded. "But do not worry about that anymore; they're both safe now. And once you adapt to you 'power', you'll be able to protect everyone you care about."

"Power? Yeah, would you mind explaining to me what on earth happened regarding those puppets Hamuko and I managed to use?" Minato asked.

"Ah, yes. That would be a special power known as 'Persona'; it is a manifestation of your psyche," Igor explained.

"Manifestation of my psyche? You mean my personality?" asked Minato.

"Yes and no. A Persona is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli…" Igor informed him. "You can think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships."

Minato took a moment to take this in. _'A facet of my personality… A mask… External stimuli… Does he mean…'_ "Let me get this straight. So these 'puppets' that appeared are known as 'Persona'. 'Personas' are a manifestation of what we show to other people in our day-to-day life. For example, let's say there's an athlete who bullies people on regular basis, yet deep down, he does it to make the stronger and protect them. That athlete's 'Persona' would reflect that," Minato attempted to make sense of what Igor told him.

"You are a quick learner, my dear boy," Igor smiled.

"Ah, good," Minato smirked.

"By the way, I noticed that it was the Persona 'Orpheus' that heeded your call and that it was Eurydice that responded to your twin," said Igor. "Did you know that in the ancient past, Orpheus and Eurydice were lovers? Did you also know that, according to certain folklore, lovers are often reincarnated as twins?"

Minato's eyebrow rose at Igor's comments. "And this has to do with me how?" Minato asked.

"Nothing really. I'm not saying that you and your twin will become lovers. I will note, however, that for two people to have similar looking Personas with the names of famous lovers indicates that the two Persona users must have a very close, tight bond, familial, romantic, or otherwise," Igor clarified his comments.

"Ah, okay," Minato sighed in relief. "Hamuko and I are really close. For the longest time, we've only had each other to rely on while we took care of our youngest imoto. Jii-sama was often busy with cases, so Hamuko and I had to grow up fast and we ended up becoming more like surrogate parents to Naoko than elder siblings."

"I see. You have my sympathies, young Minato," Igor solemnly nodded.

"Arigato," Minato nodded back. "Anyways, what was with that weird creature that popped out of Orpheus?"

"Ah, yes. That was the Persona 'Thanatos.' It was able to come to your aid due to the fact that you have a special power known as the 'Wild Card'," Igor leaned forward.

"The Wild Card? What's that?" Minato asked.

"That is another story for another time. But understand that right now, your power of the Wild Card is weak. You must develop that power in order to get stronger, to protect those you care about," Igor answered.

"And how exactly do I do that?"

"When you use your Persona, you must channel your inner strength. This inner strength grows and evolves as you develop your Social Links-- your emotional ties with others, both Persona users and non-Persona users alike. The stronger your Social Links, the stronger your ability with Personas will become, please remember that," said Igor.

_ 'Social Links? Does he mean the bonds I form with those who are close to me?'_ thought Minato. "And how will I know if my efforts are strengthening or weakening these 'Links'?" he asked.

"Ah, that you will find out on your own," Igor replied. "Now then… Time marches on in your world. I shouldn't keep you here any longer."

"It has? Exactly how long have I've been out back in the real world?" Minato asked with a worried tone.

"I believe that the moon was full when you first summoned your Persona. Since then, the moon's phase has changed to the half-moon," said Igor.

"Half-moon? But then that would mean… I've been out for a week!?" Minato shouted.

"You have. But now it's time for you to rejoin the real world. Next time you come here, it will be of your own free will. Until then … Farewell," Igor waved goodbye to Minato.

"Until next time," Elizabeth bowed.

Minato's vision began to cloud and he could feel himself slipping away.

* * *

The first things that registered in Minato's mind were three things: the feeling of sunlight on his face, a parched throat, and a second prescience in the area. He slowly opened his eyes to find that he was in a hospital room. Sitting next to his bed was Yukari, who had fallen asleep in her chair.

_ 'Wow, she looks cute when she's asleep,'_ thought Minato. _'I'd hate to wake her, but, crap, I'm so thirsty.'_

"Hey," Minato choked out.

Yukari's eyes fluttered open and she saw that Minato was looking right at her. "Oh my gosh! You're awake! I'm so glad," Yukari clutched her chest, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Wa-Water…" Minato coughed.

"Oh! Of course!" Yukari ran over to the sink to fetch Minato a drink. She quickly poured a glass of water and gave it to him. Minato greedily drank the water, the drink easing the pain in his throat. "Do you need some more?" Yukari asked. Minato nodded and Yukari quickly got him another glass. Minato downed that glass as well and breathed deeply.

"Ha… Ha… Testing… Testing…" Minato tested his throat, making sure it was okay now. "Okay, I think that will do for now."

"So, how do you feel?" Yukari asked.

"I feel okay," said Minato. "I did feel dizzy as I woke up, but I'm over that now."

"Thank goodness," Yukari smiled. "You were out for so long." She sighed as her mood suddenly shifted. "Exactly how much sleep do you need!?" she fussed at him. "It's been a week! I was worried about you…"

_'She was worried about me? Wow. She's the first person outside the family and the assistants to give a damn about me,'_ Minato was touched. "Um… Gomen?" Minato smiled cheekily.

"Oh, it doesn't matter now; you're awake and that's the important thing," Yukari's facial features softened.

"So, where am I, and where's Hamuko?" Minato asked.

"This is Tatsumi Memorial Hospital; it's a short distance from the station," said Yukari. "As for Hamuko-chan, she's fine. She's had to stay here for a couple of days, but she fully recovered and was discharged. It took a lot of convincing from Mitsuru-sempai and Toriumi-sensei and a promise from me to look after you when she couldn't in order for her not to spend every waking moment right here at your bedside."

"That's Hamuko for you. She hates leaving my side, especially if something's happened," Minato chuckled.

"Anyways, the doctor wasn't able to find anything wrong with you," Yukari changed the subject. "All he could determine was that you were exhausted. You just kept on sleeping and sleeping. Do you know how worried I was!?" Yukari frowned and turned away, ashamed of her outburst. "Um… Forgive me for not being able to do anything… Even though I was suppose to protect you, you ended up protecting me and then Hamuko-chan ended up protecting us. I'm so sorry, Minato-san…"

Minato sat up and took Yukari's hand and looked her right in the eye. "You have nothing to apologize for, Yukari-san. You did what you could and that's what matters. Hamuko and I have more experience, that's all," Minato smiled.

"Arigato, Minato-san…" Yukari seemed grateful.

"So, what exactly did I do?" Minato asked_. 'Igor may have already told me, but I want to see if Yukari-san can give me any additional info,'_ he reasoned.

"You mean that thing you used to fight of the creatures? That power… we call it 'Persona'. And the creatures you defeated are 'Shadows'-- our enemy," answered Yukari.

"Shadows? So that's what you call them…" Minato nodded his head.

"Oh, that's right. Apparently, you mentioned that you had encountered them beforehand," Yukari remembered. "If I recall, you referred to them as 'Beasts of the Night?'"

"That's right. Hamuko and I have had to deal with them for a long time now," Minato acknowledged.

"Can you tell me about it?" Yukari asked.

_'Should I tell her about it? I probably should, but only when we have everyone gathered,'_ Minato thought. "I'll tell you when we have everyone gathered. I have a feeling the sempai may need to hear my story as well," he said.

"Fair enough. We'll also explain everything at that time," said Yukari. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before." Yukari suddenly got nervous and fidgeted in her chair a little.

"I… uh, I wanted to tell you that I'm sorta like you and Hamuko-chan," she admitted.

_'Like us? Where is she going with this?'_ Minato was puzzled. "What do you mean, Yukari-san?" he asked.

Yukari turned in her chair to look out the window, as if she were reflecting on something. She then turned back to Minato, looking completely serious. "My tou-san died in an accident when I was little…" she confessed. "And my kaa-san and I aren't exactly on good terms… You and Hamuko-chan are all alone too, right?"

"Well, we had our jii-sama and our younger imoto, but at times, it got real lonely," Minato sadly smiled.

"To be completely honest, I already know about your past," Yukari admitted.

"Let me guess: Mitsuru-sempai has a file on the Arisato-Shirogane family, doesn't she?" Minato smirked.

"Yeah," Yukari rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "Gomen."

"Don't apologize. Besides, it's not private information. So why exactly are you telling me all this?" Minato asked.

"It didn't seem fair that I knew all there was about you two, so I want you to know about mine…" Yukari lowered her head. "It was back in '99. There was a big explosion in the area. Supposedly, my tou-san died in the blast, but no one really knows what happened… He was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group. I'm hoping that if I stick around long enough, I'll find out something."

"I would be honored to help you, Yukari-san," Minato offered. "We can work together to find the answer. You have insider information and I have my jii-sama's network of contacts. We'll figure it out."

"That would be nice, Minato-san," Yukari smiled.

"Please, call me Minato-kun," he told her.

"Okay then, Minato-kun, but only if you call me Yukari-chan," she smiled.

"Deal," they shook hands.

"Anyways, that's why I'm going to Gekkoukan High, and why I was there when this happened to you…" Yukari went back to her story. "Of course, I panicked and wasn't much help… It was my first time fighting them. Gomen… You wouldn't have to go though all this if I hadn't been such a coward." Minato took Yukari's hand again and gently squeezed it.

"Yukari-chan, it's not your fault. Besides, I was scared as well," Minato admitted.

"Arigato…" Yukari sighed. "But you were scared as well?"

"Yeah. Hamuko and I may have fought these 'Shadows', as you call them, before, but we never encountered anything like we fought on the roof," Minato admitted.

"Wow. I wouldn't have guessed," Yukari shook her head.

"Don't pin the blame on yourself, Yukari-chan. All of us got out of it alive and that's what matters," Minato assured her.

"Yeah, you're right," Yukari nodded. "Here I am, wallowing in self-pity and telling you all this the minute you wake up and you go and make me feel better. You must be some kind of saint, you know?"

"I've been called many things, Yukari-chan, but 'saint' ain't one of them," Minato laughed. Yukari chucked as well as she gripped her sweater in her hands.

"You know, Minato-kun, while I was waiting, I thought to myself 'I've been hiding so many things from him. As soon as he wakes up, I'll tell him the truth'," Yukari admitted.

_'Yukari was wrapped in guilt over me!? Why does that make me feel both happy and sad at the same time?'_ his thoughts echoed.

"So, arigato. Thanks for listening. I've wanted to share that story with someone for a long time," said Yukari.

"You're welcome, Yukari-chan. You've obviously been hurting. Sometimes, letting it out will help the pain," Minato comforted her.

"Arigato, Minato-kun," a tear fell from Yukari's eye. She then looked at her watch and took note of the time. "Anyways, I should get going; I'll let the others know you woke up," Yukari got up from her seat. "Take it easy, okay?" Yukari warned him, heading out the door. "Be a good patient! And don't hesitate to call the nurse; I'm sure she'll take good care of you," she added, standing in the doorway.

As Yukari began to leave the room, Minato felt a pit of emptiness in his chest, like a part of himself was leaving the room with Yukari. It made his heart feel heavy and weak. "Wait!" Minato called after her.

Yukari stopped at the door, confused by Minato's summons. "What is it?" she asked.

"Um…" Minato blushed. _'What am I doing? Why did I call out to her? Did I want her to stay? And if so, why? All I know is that I didn't want her leaving…' _he tried to figure it out. "Um… could you… please stay a while longer?" Minato fought back a stutter.

"You… You want me to stay?" Yukari asked, a bit surprised at Minato's admission.

"Hai…" Minato blushed some more.

"Well, I guess I could," Yukari considered the offer. "I can just call Mitsuru-sempai and let her know the news; she can pass it on to Hamuko-chan. Besides, I can always take care of my business later."

"Arigato," Minato smiled, relieved she wasn't leaving.

"So, how about I order us some food? This may be a good hospital, but the food sucks. My treat," Yukari offered.

"Sure," Minato agreed. "Can we have some sushi?"

"I don't mind; I was kinda craving some myself," said Yukari as she came back to her chair and sat down. Yukari pulled out her phone and order some sushi for the both of them.

"So, while we wait for the food…" Yukari put her phone away. "What do you want to do?"

"How about we just talk?" Minato suggested.

"That's okay with me," Yukari nodded. "Oh!"

"What is it, Yukari-chan?" Minato asked.

"I forgot to do something," she admitted.

"And that would be?" Minato cocked an eyebrow.

Yukari squirmed a little, a light blush on her face. She then leaned forward and gave Minato a light kiss on the cheek. "Oh!" Minato's eyes widened, his face as red as Mitsuru's hair. Yukari pulled away, her blush equally as intense.

"I forgot to give you that. It's a token of my gratitude. Thanks… for everything," she smiled.

"Anytime, Yukari-chan," Minato put a hand to the cheek Yukari had kissed.

**SMASH!**

Time had frozen around Minato and everything had taken a darker tone. _'What in heaven's name is going on!?'_ Minato was on his guard.

A card suddenly materialized above Yukari. It was a blue card with a white and black mask on it. The card then flipped around to show another image. A tree was in the middle of the picture, its trunk and branches splitting the card into three pieces. To the left of the tree stood a male silhouette against a purple background, and to the right of the tree was a female silhouette against a magenta background. Above the tree's branches and the figures floated a giant heart against a pink background. What appeared to be a sun was floating above the heart, halfway out of the picture. Below the picture was the Roman numeral for six.

_'What the heck? A card?'_ thought Minato.

_**"Thou are I… And I am thou…" **_a voice like Orpheus' echoed around him. _**"Thou hast established a new bond. It brings thee closer to thy destiny. Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Lovers Arcana…" **_The card exploded into blue light and dissipated over Minato and Yukari. A surge of strength flowed through him, like he just got an adrenaline rush.

_'Wow, this feels good,'_ thought Minato. Then something clicked in his head. _'Wait a second. Is this what Igor was talking about?'_ Minato recalled.

_'When you use your Persona, you must channel your inner strength. This inner strength grows and evolves as you develop your Social Links-- your emotional ties with others, both Persona users and non-Persona users alike. The stronger your Social Links, the stronger your ability with Personas will become, please remember that,' _Igor's words echoed in Minato's head. _'Did I just establish a Social Link?'_ he realized.

Color returned to the room and time flowed once more.

"Um… did you like it?" Yukari blushed.

"I… I did. Arigato," Minato wryly smiled.

"Anyways… why don't we talk some more?" Yukari changed the subject. "Why don't you tell me about this younger imoto of yours?"

"Oh, boy, now that is a story," Minato chuckled as he told Yukari about Arisato Naoko.

* * *

And the end of the chapter. Let me quickly explain something. Personally, I always felt that the hospital scene between Minato and Yukari was when you should've started Social Linking. They had such a meaningful conversation and bonded right there. I'm guessing the only reason they didn't do it there was for the sake of exposition or something. Anyways, time for the Green Midnight Dictionary!

**_Green Midnight Dictionary:_**

**Eurydice- **Hamuko's Persona. Hamuko's Persona has a resistance to Hama skills and is weak against Agi skills. It currently knows Bash and Bufu. This was what a lot of fans called Hamuko's Persona when it was first revealed.

Okay, now that the Arisato twins have their Persona, we can finally get this show on the road! I apologize if the story seems sluggish as the moment. However, after the first visit to Tartarus, things will move along at a much faster pace. I hope you enjyoed the chapter and please feel free to leave comments!


	5. Chapter 5: SEES

Welcome to a new Chapter of Green Midnight. I'm guessing the whole 'Start the Lovers Social Link early' scene scared off some of my reviewers. Guess they don't like Minato/Yukari scenes. I'm not going to ram those down your throat, you know, regardless of whether or not they're going to hook up, even though anyone who knows the story's plot knows what I plan on doing. Anyways, before we get to reviews, some shameless advertising.

Check me out at Formspring! I'll take any questions about Green Midnight, or just about anything, there. Its formspring (dot) me/lunardragon2607. Also, feel free to check out my YouTube, where I have plenty of Persona-related videos. I'm also lunardragon2607 there.

Now for the reviews:

ravenwingscorp: Thank you. But I don't deserve the full credit for the battle scene. It was a combination of effort between myself, Regina Ricae Mortis (my Beta), and Twilight Scribe (my mentor), and not to mention tips from the fabulous SamJaz, author of Fairly English Story (which is a MUST READ for any Persona/MegaTen fan).

hareru1995: Thanks. And you're welcome. In case anyone's wondering, Eurydice is pronounced 'yuri-dee-che'.

mangafreak7793: Oh, you bet there will be some tension. It wouldn't be Persona 3 without it. As for the harem, pairings have mostly been decided at this point, but Hamuko, the girls you listed, and several others will play important roles in the story, mostly as Social Links. As for if Minato will get any of them, well, that is a secret!

Echo the Ethereal Swordmaster: Ah, so you know the story. That's a plus. As for your update, this is the update right here. And I would love to have P3P, if I had a PSP...

Okay, so now that everything's been cleared out, let's begin! Enjoy!

* * *

**_Chapter 5:_**** S.E.E.S.**

The next morning, Minato was cleared to return to school. Hamuko had shown up with his clothes and gear. With Hamuko's help, he was able to make it to school. At the gates, they ran into Yukari. "Mornin'. You seem to be doing pretty well, Minato-kun," Yukari greeted them.

"I'm doing okay, more or less," said Minato. "It's kinda difficult to walk because I've been in a bed for a week. However, I've been able to manage with Hamuko's help."

"And by 'help', you mean lug your ass on my back from Iwatodai to here," Hamuko glared at her brother.

"I'm not that heavy, am I?" Minato teased.

"Please. Pigs are lighter that you," Hamuko chastised him.

"Oh! That hurts deep down, imoto," Minato held his hand over his heart, feigning heartbreak.

"Well, it seems you two are doing just find now," Yukari smiled. "Anyways, I'm sorry to add this to everything else you've been dealing with, but… Ikutsuki-san wants to talk to you today. Go to the fourth floor of the dorm after school, okay? Don't forget," she informed them before quickly walking off.

"So we're finally gonna get some answers?" Hamuko asked.

"Yeah, seems so," Minato nodded. "Well, let's get through today and then we'll get our answers. By the way, does this place have an elevator?"

"Nope, don't think so," Hamuko smiled.

"Aw, crap," Minato moaned. "This will KILL my legs!"

"Well, good luck with that! I'm gonna go meet up with Junpei-kun!" Hamuko waved as she ran off.

"Hamuko, don't leave me here! My poor legs won't withstand the journey!" Minato cried out in vain.

* * *

After a long day at school that including being looked over and chastised by Toriumi, Minato was able to make it back to his dorm with Junpei's assistance. "Thanks for helping me back here. I was abandoned by my imoto and Yukari-chan!" Minato groaned as Junpei helped him through the door.

"Eh, it's the least I can do after you helped me with Ono-sensei's question today," Junpei replied. "Anyways, why exactly were you in the hospital for a week?"

"Some idiots tried to cop a feel on Hamuko. We tried to tell them off, but they attacked. We fought, and one of them got me in the back of the head and knocked me out. Fortunately, the sempai saved Hamuko and me before something bad happened," Minato quickly came up with a story.

"Bastards," Junpei spat. "I'm glad they didn't do anything horrible."

"Yeah, me too," Minato sighed.

"Anyways, you gonna be fine from here or do you need more help?" Junpei asked.

"I think I'll be fine from here, Junpei," Minato answered. "My legs are feeling stronger now. I should be able to manage on my own."

"Well, okay then," Junpei nodded. "If you need anything, let me know, k?"

"I'll be sure to. I owe you one," said Minato.

"I'll hold you to that," Junpei chuckled as he walked out the door.

"Now to get up those stairs. Why, oh why did they need to hold a meeting on the fourth floor? This is NOT going to be pleasant," Minato complained to himself. With some difficulty, Minato began climbing the stairs, using the railing to help himself up. He managed to make it up to the third floor before his legs began to buckle. _'Oh, man. I don't think I can make the last flight,' _he sighed.

"Oh, Minato-kun! There you are!" someone called out. Minato saw Yukari coming down the stairs, a look a relief on your face.

"I've been looking for you! Where were you?" she asked.

"Struggling to get back. My legs are still weak. And if it weren't for Junpei, I'd still be on Port Island," said Minato.

"Oh my gosh! Minato-kun, I didn't know! Hamuko-chan said you'd be fine on your own! Had I known, I'd have been there to help you," Yukari apologized.

_'Hamuko… I should've known…'_ Minato grimaced.

"Are you okay, Minato-kun?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah. I just should've known that Hamuko would do something like that. This is probably payback for that time I told Naoko that a member of the staff had hid contraband in Hamuko's room and the place got torn apart in a search," he smirked as he shook his head.

"I take it you two play lots of jokes on each other?" Yukari asked.

"Oh, we do. Once, we had this weeklong competition. The end of the competition is something we don't talk about," Minato bitterly chuckled.

"…I shouldn't know what happened, should I?" Yukari raised an eyebrow.

"No, you shouldn't," he warned her.

"Anyways, everyone is waiting for you upstairs," Yukari remembered. "You need some help getting upstairs?"

"Yeah. My legs have gotten stronger, but they're not quite back to normal yet. The doctor said they would be fine in a day or two," said Minato. Yukari took one of Minato's arms and threw it over her shoulder to help him upstairs. Once at the fourth floor, the two of them walked through the double doors to find that Ikutsuki, Mitsuru, Hamuko, and the guy Mitsuru had talked to awhile back were all there waiting for them.

"Ah, there you two are. I'm glad you're okay," Ikutsuki greeted them.

"Doing okay, except for the fact that I was forced to hoof it back alone in my weakened state and I would've too if not for Junpei's help. Thanks a bunch, Hamuko," Minato sarcastically replied.

"Oh, aniki, if I honestly thought you needed help, I'd have helped you. Besides, you're a man. Men need challenges to grow stronger," Hamuko teased.

"She's right, you know. By overcoming your limits, you can accomplish anything," Mitsuru's acquaintance added.

"Oh, both of you put a sock in it," Minato waved them off, causing everyone to chuckle.

"Anyways, the reason I have asked you here is because I needed to talk to both you and your twin. Please, have a seat," Ikutsuki offered. Minato and Yukari sat down on the large couch next to Ikutsuki's armchair, with Yukari sitting next to Mitsuru and Minato next to Yukari. Akihiko and Hamuko were sitting on stools opposite that of the couch. In the middle of the seating arrangement was a table with a large metal briefcase on it. "Oh, before we begin. I believe I mentioned him earlier, but this is Akihiko," Ikutsuki introduced the other male in the room.

"How ya doin'?" the man known as Akihiko greeted him.

"Better than I was yesterday. Can't wait to get back to full strength," Minato rubbed his legs.

"That's good," Akihiko smiled.

"Okay then, let me start this off by asking you a simple question: Would you believe me if I said that a day consists of more than 24 hours?" Ikutsuki began.

"Actually, I would," Minato replied.

"Same here," Hamuko added.

"Really now? And why would you think that?" Mitsuru asked.

"Simple. For the last decade, Hamuko and I have been living 25-hour days," said Minato.

"You've been experiencing the Dark Hour for a decade!?" Mitsuru gasped.

"The 'Dark Hour'? So, that's what you call it…" Minato commented, a stern look on his face.

"Um… perhaps before we go any further, let's have one side tell their story, then the other side can go," Yukari suggested.

"Brilliant idea, Yukari," said Ikutsuki. "Mitsuru, how about we tell our story first, then we'll have the Arisatos talk, okay?"

"Very well," Mitsuru nodded.

"Fine with me," Minato agreed. _'Now I'll finally get some answers.'_

"Do you remember the night you came here? You definitely noticed the signs…" Mitsuru began. "The streetlights were out, nothing was working, there were coffins everywhere, and the moon glowed an eerie green. Didn't it feel like you were in a different time?"

"Actually, it feels like I was no longer on Earth," Minato commented.

"Personally, I thought of it as the Earth going to sleep," Hamuko added. Mitsuru nodded, agreeing with their opinions.

"That, Arisatos, is the Dark Hour: a time period hidden between one day and the next," she said.

"Why call it hidden?" Hamuko asked.

"I guess it's more like something normal people aren't aware of," Ikutsuki replied. "But the Dark Hour does exist. It occurs each night, at midnight. It happened before, it'll happen tonight, and it'll occur every night to come."

"Normal people don't realize it, since they're all sleeping inside their coffins," Akihiko chimed in. "But, that's not what makes the Dark Hour so interesting." Akihiko leaned forward, a huge grin on his face. "You saw those creatures; we call them 'Shadows'. They only appear during the Dark Hour and attack anyone not in a coffin. It's our job to defeat them. Sounds exciting, huh?"

_'Does this guy live on the thrill of battle or something?' _Minato observed.

"Akihiko! Why are you always like that?" Mitsuru fussed at him. "You just got hurt the other day!"

"Now, now Mitsuru. He does his work well," Ikutsuki intervened. "Now then, Minato-kun and Hamuko-chan. Long story short, we're the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad-- SEES for short. On paper, we're classified as a school club; in reality, though, this group is dedicated to defeating the Shadows. Mitsuru is the leader while I'm the club advisor."

_'Ah, okay, makes sense now…'_ Minato nodded.

"A Shadow feeds off the mind of its prey; the victim becomes a living corpse. They're responsible for most of the incidents on the news here in Iwatodai and on Port Island, if not all of them," Mitsuru explained.

"So the Shadows are responsible for the Apathy Syndrome?" Hamuko asked.

"Correct," Mitsuru confirmed the answer.

_'Makes sense. And now for something that's been bugging me.'_ "And why are a bunch of high-schoolers dealing with all this? Isn't this a job for the police or the military?" Minato asked.

"Unfortunately, the police or military can't do anything during the Dark Hour…" Mitsuru answered.

"How come? The sempai, Yukari-chan, aniki, and I are able to experience this 'Dark Hour'; why not anyone else?" Hamuko asked, confused.

"That is because the number of people who can function during the Dark Hour is miniscule at best. At best, I'd say one out of a million," Ikutsuki explained. "Although that number is small, those people are able to function in the Dark Hour however they please. Not enough people are active during the Dark Hour in the right places to mount a full assault and the Dark Hour itself is hard to prove unless you experience first-hand or if someone inflicted with Apathy Syndrome can talk to us. However, a very small portion of those people awake in the Dark Hour may even awaken to a power that enables them to fight the Shadows. That's 'Persona'-- the power you two used the other night. The Shadows can only be defeated by Persona-users."

"That's not necessarily true," Minato interrupted. "Hamuko and I have destroyed a few of those things before without those 'Persona' things."

"Really?" Ikutsuki was intrigued.

"True. We've had to fight them before and we've always managed to come out on top," Hamuko confirmed Minato's claim.

"Well, I suppose I was exaggerating just a little. While it IS possible to defeat a Shadow without a Persona, it would be a monumental task; possessing the power of a Persona would level the playing field," said Ikutsuki.

"Anyways, I suppose this is the point where you now tell us your story, Arisato," Mitsuru cut in.

"I've been interested in learning your story too, Minato-kun," Yukari added.

"Okay then. Well, I suppose our story begins a decade ago, in 1999," Minato began. "My parents, Arisato Jouhei and Shirogane-Arisato Nagi, detectives by trade, had gone to Port Island to meet with a client. The family had actually gone to Port Island for the weekend due to a class reunion at Gekkoukan, which is why Hamuko, my younger imoto Naoko, and myself were there as well: to meet our parents' high school buddies. Earlier in the day, little Naoko had gotten sick, so our jii-sama, Shirogane Satoshi, picked her up and took her home, leaving just the four of us at Port Island."

"Ah, yes. Shirogane-san is quite the detective, I hear. And I also heard that his daughter and son-in-law were just as skilled," Ikusuki nodded.

"Arigato; they were," Minato smiled. "Anyways, during the trip, my parents met up with a client. I don't know what it was about or why they met, but when they got back, they looked spooked and said that we had to return home immediately, despite it being already nightfall. So, the four of us piled into the car, setting off for home. However, on the Moonlight Bridge, something happened," Minato frowned.

"What happened?" Mitsuru asked.

"The lights on the bridge went out, all the cars stopped, including ours, the moon turned a sickly green, and people in the cars around us were in coffins," said Minato. "My parents seemed uneasy, yet not surprised. They ordered us not to get out of the car as they got out. Not five seconds later, an explosion occurred, sending the car flying into the bridge's support cables." Many a gasp could be heard. "The impact caused me to black out. I don't really recall anything after that, but Hamuko does," he finished.

"I do, aniki. Anyways, after the car had impacted, I managed to free Minato and myself. As I drug him out of the car, I saw our parents confronting this looming thing that looked like the Grim Reaper, except he had a huge-ass katana instead of a scythe," she detailed. "The next thing I remember, this second Grim Repaer appears out of nowhere and swallows our parents whole. That was the last time I saw them."

More gasps could be heard in the room. "Your parents… were swallowed whole!?" a shocked Yukari asked.

"Hai, Yukari-chan. There was nothing left; no bodies, no nothing," Hamuko whimpered.

"I'm so sorry," Yukari sighed.

"You have my sympathies," Mitsuru sadly smiled.

"That must've been traumatizing, seeing your parents die like that," Akihiko frowned.

"It was," Hamuko fought back tears. "After our parents were devoured, the two Repaers stared each other down, the first one pointing its katana at the second one and the second one drawing out these giant guns. They looked like they were going to fight when all of a sudden, gunshots rang out."

"This weird lady appears out of nowhere and says that she'll destroy them both. The gun wielding one that had eaten our parents vanished into some kind of portal but the katana-wielding one stood its ground and the two fought. The lady and the Reaper struggled for victory. What really puzzled me was that the lady apparently fired blasts from her fingertips; she also used this weird ghost thing that came out of her. 'Palla-something' I think she called it. Those Personas aniki and I used remind me of it."

"A Persona!? This girl had a Persona!?" Mitsuru was shocked.

"Maybe, I dunno. It's been ten years and I was only a kid then; I'm surprised I remember as much as I do," Hamuko replied.

"I see…" Mitsuru whispered, deep in thought.

"What did this weird lady look like?" Ikutsuki asked.

Hamuko closed her eyes for a moment, mentally recalling the image of the girl that saved her and Minato. "I don't recall much, but I think she had short hair. I think she also had a ribbon around her neck and this weird headband on her head. Don't recall anything else."

"I see," said Ikutsuki. "I'll see if I can find out anything about her."

"So, what happened? Did the girl drive off the Reaper?" Yukari asked.

"No matter what happened, she couldn't kill the Reaper," Hamuko continued. "Even after dealing what appeared to be lethal blows, it just kept going. The girl herself was badly injured. After some more fighting, the girl finally managed to get the jump on the Reaper and knocked it down hard. I then remember her looking in my direction. She brought out her ghost-thingy again and the Reaper dissolved into blue light."

"Afterwards, we ended up in a hospital and then we were taken in by jii-sama and our daibo," Minato continued the story. "They raised us the best they could from that point, but Hamuko and I were forced to grow up fast, especially to take care of our imoto. Our jii-sama would constantly train all three of in the ways of the detective, even though Hamuko and I would choose a different path later. We'd be trained in how to find clues, interrogation, and even how to fight. That last one would especially come in hand when dealing with the 'Shadows'."

"You've fought the Shadows before?" Akihiko asked.

"Hai. Over the years, Hamuko and I would be constantly thrust every night into what we called 'Green Midnight', because everything would take on eerie shades of green; you know 'Green Midnight' as the 'Dark Hour'," Minato explained.

"Over the years, we would be randomly attacked by black blobs with weird masks. Sometimes they'd take different shapes, like animals or inanimate objects," Hamuko detailed. "We called them the 'Beasts of the Night'. We were lucky in that no one was ever seriously hurt in our area."

"I gotta say, taking on Shadows without a Persona's power… That's majorly badass," Akihiko grinned.

"And foolhardy," Mitsuru added her two cents.

"Arigato, Akihiko-sempai," Hamuko chuckled.

"For the longest time, only myself, Hamuko, and our jii-sama were the only ones we knew that were active during Green Midnight. Personally, I thought only our family was able move around during its duration," Minato commented. "Imagine our surprise when we find all of you active as well."

"I would imagine that to be quite a shock, especially with the stunt Takeba nearly pulled," Mitsuru glared at Yukari.

"Hey! I thought they might've been Shadows or something!" Yukari defended her actions.

"Don't worry about it, Mitsuru-sempai. No one got hurt. Spooked, maybe, but not hurt," said Minato. "Anyways, that's pretty much our story."

"Arisato, I must say, you and your imoto must be quite brave, dealing with the Dark Hour for a decade. Akihiko and I have only dealt with it for a couple of years and Takeba only a few weeks," said Mitsuru.

"And what about you, Ikuzi-san?" Minato asked. "How long have you dealt with the Dark Hour?"

"Ikutsuki, Minato-kun," he corrected Minato. "As for me, I first became aware of the Dark Hour shortly before Mitsuru. Although, I think I may have been experiencing the Dark Hour longer than that, as would probably be the case will all of you. However, I am unable to use a Persona."

"How come?" Minato asked.

"I'm not really sure myself, but I rationalize in this way: All Persona-users are active during the Dark Hour, but not all those active during the Dark Hour are Persona-users," said Ikutsuki.

"I get it," Minato nodded. _'Makes sense, yet something still seems off about him.'_

"Anyways, it is up to you guys to stop the Shadow from inflicting any further damage and hopefully putting a stop to them and the Apathy Syndrome once and for all," Ikutsuki announced.

"What he's trying to say is that he wants both of you to join us," Mitsuru interrupted him. She got up and opened the metal suitcase that had been sitting on the table the whole time. Inside the briefcase were two metal guns.

_'Evokers?'_ Minato recalled from the Velvet Room's flashback. _'But they're guns…'_ He looked over at Hamuko, who had visibly paled and began sweating. _'Oh, I was afraid of this…'_

"We've prepared Evokers for the both of you. We'd like you to lend us your strength," said Mitsuru.

"Can you give Hamuko and I a moment to talk it over, Mitsuru-sempai?" Minato asked, sensing that Hamuko needed to talk to him.

"Of course," Mitsuru nodded.

Minato got up, took Hamuko's hand, and led her outside the conference room. "You okay?" Minato asked once they were out of the room.

"I… I'm fine," Hamuko slightly smiled.

"You sure? Between remembering the events of that day, and then seeing those guns right in front of you… I imagine that's a lot to take in," Minato put a hand on Hamuko's shoulder.

"I was rattled, I admit, but I'll live," she assured him.

"Well, okay then," Minato smiled. "So, do you want to join this 'S.E.E.S.'?"

"What do you think, aniki?"

"Me? Well, personally, I'd like to help. We've been dealing with the Beasts of the Night… I mean Shadows for ages. It'd be nice to finally issue some payback," Minato smirked. "Besides, I know our parents would do it in a heartbeat."

"I know what you meant. I want to help too, but…" Hamuko turned her head and sighed.

"The gun thing? Yeah, if you join, you'll have to constantly be around it and dealing with it," he frowned. "And I know you don't like them."

"I mean, I was able use the Evoker before, but that was for your sake. However, I'm not sure if I can constantly use it," said Hamuko.

_'That could be a problem. How to go about this…'_ he thought.

"What should I do, aniki?" she asked.

_'Hmm… Oh!'_ an idea came to mind. "Hamuko, I'll be with you every step of the way, so don't worry. Also, I'll see if I can get you an Evoker that is not a gun. If not, I promise that I'll constantly be with you whenever you use one to help calm your nerves," Minato promised. Hamuko smiled as she gave Minato a great bear hung.

"Arigato, aniki. I can always count on you," she whispered.

"You're welcome," Minato hugged her back. "You ready to give them our answer?"

"Hai. Let's go," she nodded.

The two of the walked back inside to find an eager Akihiko, Yukari, Mitsuru, and Ikutsuki awaiting them.

"Have you two made a decision?" Ikutsuki asked.

"You guys didn't really tell us anything Hamuko and I already knew or figured, except for actual names for Green Midnight and the Beasts of the Night. However, we do have an answer. But before that, do these Evokers have to be guns?" Minato asked.

"Well, not really, but that's the model we settled on," said Mitsuru.

"Is it possible for Hamuko to get an Evoker that's not a gun?" he requested. "She has a slight case of hoplophobia."

"Fear of guns?" Mitsuru quirked an eyebrow. "Well, that would be a problem."

"Well, that explains why she was so hesitant to use the Evoker on the roof and why she freaked out when I first met her," Yukari recalled.

"Are you sure she can't use an Evoker?" Akihiko asked.

"Well, I…" Hamuko looked away, ashamed.

"How about this? We let Hamuko use the Evoker you've gotten her already for now. If she is unable to deal with it, we get her a different kind of Evoker," Minato offered.

"And what of her hoplophobia?" Mitsuru asked.

"As long as I'm with her, she should be fine until she either desensitizes to it or you get her a different Evoker, whichever occurs first," replied Minato.

"So, I take it that means both of you are joining us?" asked Mitsuru.

"Hai, I'll be joining you," Minato answered.

"Despite my phobia, I'll help as well," Hamuko gave a small smile.

"I was afraid you'd say no…" Yukari let out a sigh of relief. "Welcome aboard!"

"Arigato, Yukari-chan," Hamuko smiled.

"I promise to do whatever I can to help," added Minato.

"Welcome to S.E.E.S., you two. May we vanquish many Shadows," said Akihiko.

"Thank you so much; I'm really glad," Ikutsuki softly smiled. "Oh, I almost forgot! About your room assignment… Why don't you just stay here, in your current rooms? I don't know what the holdup is, but I guess it worked out in the end."

Ikutsuki let out a small chuckle as a look of confusion etched itself on Yukari's face. "Holdup? But wasn't that… Oh, never mind. It doesn't matter anymore," she said.

_'Oh? Apparently I was right; we were purposely put in here to see if were able to join. Eh, doesn't matter now,'_ thought Minato.

**SMASH! **

Time froze and everyone took on darker hues._ 'It's happening again? I formed another Social Link?' _Like before, a card appeared, but this time it appeared in the center of the room, showing its back to Minato. It flipped around to reveal a picture different that the one the other card had. This picture was that of a man holding a stick, a bag tied to one end of it. A dog was following behind him. Below the picture was the number zero.

_**"Thou are I… And I am thou… Thou hast established a new bond. It brings thee closer to thy destiny. Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Fool Arcana…"**_

The card exploded into blue light and dissipated over the group, except for Ikutsuki. _'Huh? I'm guessing this Link is for the entire group, but then, why wasn't the Chairman bathed in the card's light as well? I don't like this,'_ he thought as he felt the familiar rush and time resumed.

* * *

After spending a little time getting to know the members of S.E.E.S., Minato headed off to bed, eager for a full night's sleep. However, that wouldn't be happening tonight…"Hi, how are you?" Minato opened his sleep-crusted eyes, sat up, and saw that all was illuminated in green, signaling that is was the Dark Hour.

"Ugh… Who's there?" Minato asked as he rubbed his eyes. A low chuckle echoed in the room. As Minato began waking up, he saw that someone was sitting on the bed, the mysterious boy from the first night at the dorm and up on the roof that night he first used an Evoker. "You!" Minato gasped.

"Hi there!" the boy waved at Minato.

"Who are you?" Minato got right to the point.

"We've met before," the kid smiled.

"Of course we met before, I know that. What I want to know is WHO you are," Minato glared at the kid.

"To be honest, I don't really know," the kid shrugged.

_'Oh, great. He's one of those people who give vague answers.'_

"Soon, the end will come. I remembered, so I thought I should tell you," the boy suddenly said.

"What? What do you mean by 'the end'?" Minato asked.

"The end… of everything…" the boy whispered.

"What!? The end of everything? Like the Rapture? Armageddon? Ragnarok?" a concerned Minato asked.

"…To be honest, I don't really know what it is," the boy replied, causing Minato to smack himself in the forehead.

_'This boy is just speaking in tongues,'_ he groaned.

"Oh, looks like you've awakened to you power, and an unusual power it is," the boy smirked.

"Power? You mean my Persona?" asked Minato.

"Hai. But your power is different. It's a power that takes many forms, yet is bound by none… It may prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up," the boy explained.

_'A power that takes many forms, yet is bound by none? Is that the 'Wild Card' that Long Nose-san mentioned?'_ he rationalized. The boy suddenly disappeared and then reappeared at the foot of Minato's bed. _'What the!? He can teleport!?'_

"Do you remember when we first met?" the boy asked.

"I do. You had me sign a contract stating that I take full responsibility for my actions," Minato replied.

"Good. I expect you to honor your commitment," said the boy. "I'll be watching you, even if you forger about me… Okay then, see you later…" And he vanished without a trace.

"Oh, mother of pearl… Now I have a stalker… But who is he and what did he mean by the 'end of everything' and 'a power that takes many forms'?" Minato asked himself. "Ugh, this just keeps getting better and better." With that, Minato went back to sleep, hoping that the promise of tomorrow held new answers.

* * *

**_Green Midnight Dictionary:_**

**Hoplophobia: **Fear of guns, ammunition, and all firearms. Hamuko has a mild case of this, which will inhibit her use of the Evoker. While she can use it, she won't be able to do it unless absolutely necessary, or with Minato's encouragement.

**The Rapture/Armageddon/Ragnarok:** Various prophecies that foretell the end of the world. Look them up if you want specifics.

Thanks for enjoying chapter 5. Next chapter: Backstory, information on story elements, and character interaction/development!


	6. Chapter 6: Arcana

Welcome to another chapter of Green Midnight! I hope everyone's enjoyed the story so far! Now, then, I apologize in advance if this chapter doesn't seem up to snuff with the previous chapters, for this is mostly filler and fleshing out characters; something to balance out the plot from last chapter. I know, I know, I hate it too, but it's necessary. Anyways, time to address the reviews:

Acerbus Wings: Yay! Actual critiquing! Thanks. Now then, Minato's the only one doing the Social Links, but Hamuko will be helping him out here and there when needed, most likely with the ones that were originally Hamuko's. I've already established the Fool and Lovers Links in the last two chapter, and three more will be activated in Chapter 9. (In case anyone's wondering, I write ahead. As I post this, I'm working on Chapter 10.) And like I've said before, the Social Links will be a mash-up of Minato's, Hamuko's, and a few surprises of my own. As for the actual critiques, yeah, I'm probably abusing the Japanese words things. So, to fix that, I'll be dropping most of that. However, honorifics will be staying in, as well as certain words like aniki, but used more properly. After all, Hamuko refers to Minato as 'aniki' affectionately, like a nickname, so she'll still be doing that; however, in all other instances, I'll use 'brother' or whatever term would be proper for the moment. As for why the twins referred to their parents as 'kaa-san' and 'tou-san' instead of 'chi chi' and 'ha ha', it's because they were raised in a formal environment, like Mitsuru, so they talk about their parents and grandparents formally. And with the switch, that means they'll be using terms like 'Mother' and 'Grandfather' to showcase that. I hope this will appease you and I hope you stick around.

Hareru1995: Yes. That's me on YouTube. And to address a private message you sent me, I'm glad you have two of my extended songs on your phone.

ravenwingcorps: Thank you. However, there's still some more personality of Hamuko that needs to be shown, as you'll see this chapter. And I know you know about Fairly English Story; that message was for everyone.

mangafreak7793: Be careful what you wish for. I might do that at some point. And, again, yes that's me on YouTube. A pleasure to meet you as well.

Echo the Ethereal Swordmaster: I always did like that pun. 'Fool Moon', that's funny.

Let's get started! I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**_Chapter 6:_** **Arcana**

The next day, Minato woke up and tested his legs to see if they're any better than they were yesterday. _'Still a little sore, but I think I can manage today,'_ he thought. _'Since today's Sunday, I have the day off. I wonder what I should do…'_ Minato walked over to his desk and opened a drawer, pulling out the Velvet Key that he owned. _'I could try to find whatever door this belongs to, but that would probably be fruitless…' _He then glanced at the laptop on his desk. _'And the Internet is down, according to Yukari… Dang. Well, there is something I want to learn, but I can't do it here. Guess I'm going to the library then.'_ Minato quickly got ready and headed downstairs, where he found Mitsuru and Haumko eating breakfast.

"Morning Hamuko. Morning Mitsuru-sempai," he greeted them.

"Hi, aniki!" said Hamuko.

"Good morning, Arisato. Are your legs feeling better?" Mitsuru asked.

"They feel a lot better than yesterday, but they're still kinda sore," said Minato. "Say, sempai, is the school library open today?"

"No it isn't, Arisato. When the school is closed, like it is today, all of its facilities are closed as well," Mitsuru replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I wanted to research something, but the Internet here is down. And if the school library is closed as well, that option's out. Do you know if there's a public library around here?"

"A public library? Well… no, Arisato, there isn't one. I apologize," Mitsuru apologized. "However, if you are interested in doing research, take your laptop to the Chagal Café at Paulownia Mall; they have free Wi-Fi, so you should be able to do your research there. Also, I heard their tea and coffee is c'est magnifique!"

_'French? That's quite surprising.' _"Parlez-vous du français?" Minato asked.

"Oui," Mitsuru nodded. "You do too?"

"Oui, sempai," Minato replied. "Grandfather taught us to speak several languages, such as English, French, Russian, Spanish, and others."

"Impressive, Arisato. I know those languages as well," Mitsuru was impressed.

"So, aniki, what exactly do you want to research?" Hamuko asked.

"Something I heard off-hand at school yesterday," said Minato. "Would either of you like to come with me?"

"I apologize, Arisato, but I already made plans with Akihiko today; we're getting a room ready for a new student," replied Mitsuru.

"A new student? Is he or she joining S.E.E.S.?" Minato wanted to know.

"Oui, he is joining S.E.E.S. You will meet him tonight," said Mitsuru.

"Ah, okay," Minato nodded. "What about you, Hamuko?"

"I have no plans today. I'll tag along," said Hamuko.

"Cool. What about Yukari-chan? I don't mind if she comes as well," Minato inquired.

"Takeba has already left for the day, Arisato," said Mitsuru.

"Oh, okay," Minato sighed. _'Aw… I has hoping to spend a little time with her.'_ "So, are you ready to go then, Hamuko?"

"Let me finish breakfast and we'll head out," Hamuko was finishing up her food.

"Might as well help myself then," Minato sat down and helped himself to the food left on the table.

* * *

After finishing their breakfast, the Arisatos bid farewell to Mitsuru and left for the train station. There, they boarded a train for Port Island. Once at Port Island, they used the map that had been used to locate the S.E.E.S. dorm to find Paulownia Mall. After a short time, they managed to find the mall, which was not that far from Gekkoukan.

"Heh, who would've guessed they had a mall near the school?" Hamuko remarked as they entered the mall.

"I know. I wasn't aware the mall was that close to the school when we came here as kids," said Minato.

"Yeah. Too bad that we couldn't see the school with our parents," Hamuko sighed.

"I know," Minato frowned. "Anyways, wanna take a quick look around before heading to the café?"

"Sure, aniki," said Hamuko. "I hope they have a nice shoe store here!"

_'Heaven help me if there is,'_ he facepalmed.

* * *

After a brief exploration of the mall, Minato found himself sitting on a bench. He was waiting for Hamuko, who had managed to find a shoe store in Paulownia. _'Kami, why did we have to find a shoe store?'_ he groaned. Minato sighed as he looked at a map of the mall he managed to pick up. Other than the usual stores, there were a few things that caught his eye. _'Besides stores, there's a nightclub, police station, karaoke, an antique shop, a café, an arcade, a pharmacy, a jewelry shop, and more? This place apparently has it all,'_ he observed.

As he waited for Hamuko to come out of the store, he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. He turned to see that Yukari was at the mall, wandering aimlessly. _'Whoo! Finally! Now I won't be bored!'_ he inwardly cheered.

"Yukari-chan!" Minato called out. Yukari was snapped out of her daze to see that Minato was waving her down.

"Minato-kun!?" she gasped, surprised to see him there.

"Hiya, Yukari-chan!" Minato greeted her as she came over.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as she sat down next to Minato.

"Well, I came here to go to Chagal Café to get some research done, since the dorm's Wi-Fi is down. Hamuko tagged along with me and she spotted a shoe store. I've been stuck waiting out here since. And it's been over an hour," Minato lamented.

"Hehehe," Yukari laughed. "I feel bad for you."

"So, what are you doing here?" Minato asked.

"Well, to be honest, I was suppose to be on a date," Yukari admitted.

"A date?" Minato asked, his interest piqued.

"Yeah. Someone from third year asked me out last week and we were to have a date here today, but the idiot stood me up. Never even got a call or a text," Yukari explained.

"Any guy who stands someone up is a douche," said Minato.

"I agree. He has no idea what he's missing out on," Yukari smiled. "So, what exactly are you going to research?"

_'Well, I had intended to learn about these 'Social Links'. Fool and Lovers… Why were they called 'Arcana'? Also, that comment Igor mentioned about Orpheus and Eurydice… I want to know what he meant,'_ thought Minato. "I wanted to learn more about our Persona," he said.

"Our Persona? You could've just asked the sempai or the Chairman about that," Yukari replied.

"Not exactly. My Persona… 'Orpheus'… I know I've heard that name somewhere before. I wanted to learn more about that," Minato clarified his answer.

"Oh. I've never really thought about it that way. I suppose that would be interesting," Yukari nodded.

"Yeah. There's probably a reason why I have Orpheus and why that Thanatos thing popped out of it," said Minato.

"Thanatos? That's what it's called? How did you know that?" Yukari asked, a bit confused.

_'Oh, crap! I forgot! I only know because of Igor. How do I explain it to her?'_ Minato tried to find a way out.

"Aniki! Yukari-chan!" Minato and Yukari saw that Hamuko had just came out of the store holding two big bags. "What's up? I hope I didn't keep you waiting," said Hamuko.

"Oh, no you didn't. I was having a ball until Yukari-chan showed up," Minato replied, sarcasm dripping off of every word.

"Aw… you're such a good aniki," Hamuko giggled. "And Yukari-chan, I didn't expect to see you here!"

"I know, same here. I was supposed to be on a date, but I was stood up," Yukari huffed.

"Oh, I hate it when a boy does that! Men are just stupid! Half the time, they're interested in us just to get into our pants! And most of the other half only sticks around as long as the relationship is 'fresh'," Hamuko ranted, wagging her finger the whole time.

"Um… Hamuko, I'm a man," Minato meekly interrupted.

"Oh!" Hamuko blushed. "Sorry. Well… MOST men are like that."

"Thanks, Hamuko-chan. That makes me feel a little better," Yukari chuckled. "Anyways, weren't you and Minato-kun supposed to do some research?"

"That's right!" Hamuko gasped. "I totally forgot! It's just that there were a lot of awesome shoes…"

"Oh, don't worry about it, Hamuko. How about we go to the café now?" Minato suggested. "Not only can I get my research done, I can get a bite to eat as well. You're welcome to join us as well, Yukari-chan."

"Hm… Sure, why not?" Yukari agreed.

"Excellent. Then let's get going," Minato got up and began the trek to the café, Hamuko and Yukari following right behind him.

* * *

As Hamuko and Yukari were drinking tea and eating sandwiches, Minato was on his laptop, surfing the Internet, a half-eaten sandwich in hand. "Any luck yet, aniki?" Hamuko took a sip of her drink.

"Well, I did find a rather comprehensive history on Orpheus," said Minato.

"Oh? Do tell," Yukari was intrigued.

"Well, it's a long story, so I'll just hit the main points. Apparently, Orpheus was a rather famous Greek poet and musician back in ancient times," Minato read off the screen.

"That would explain why he had that giant harp on his back," Hamuko mused.

"Actually, Orpheus' instrument of choice is a lyre," Minato corrected her. "His music was apparently so serene, it could soothe even the most savage of beasts."

"Wouldn't it be sweet if we met a man who was that good with music?" Hamuko asked.

"Yeah. A man capable of sweeping you off your feet with song… How romantic…" Yukari sighed.

"Anyways…" Minato rolled his eyes. "Orpheus was also one of Jason's Argonauts."

"I remember leaning about the Argonauts last year," Yukari recalled. "Their leader, Jason, set out to find the Golden Fleece so that he could reclaim his throne."

"Correct, Yukari-chan," Minato nodded. "It also says that Orpheus had a wife; her name was Eurydice."

"Oh!" Hamuko gasped. "That's the name of my Persona!"

"Your Personas are modeled after a pair of ancient lovers? And not to mention you guys are twins as well…" Yukari's face took on a serious expression.

Minato instantly recognized Yukari's train of thought. _'Oh, Kami! Don't tell me she's thinking what I think she's thinking!'_

"Yukari-chan?" Hamuko tried to get her attention.

"Have you heard of the myth that soul mates are reincarnated as twins? You two are twins and your Personas possess the names of ancient lovers. You gotta admit, that does raise a few questions," Yukari explained.

_'She said it. She just had to say it. First Long Nose-san and now Yukari-chan. Is this going to constantly happen?'_ Minato shook his head in disgust.

"Wait… Are you saying that… Aniki and I…" Hamuko blanched. "OH HELL NO!" she stood up and slammed her fists hard on the table, attracting the attention of the entire café. "Minato and I are NOT lovers! That's just nasty!"

_'If there's any justice in this world, please let me be whisked away by the angels now,'_ Minato silently prayed.

"Um… sorry, Hamuko-chan…" Yukari apologized, her face lit red with embarrassment.

"Apology accepted," huffed Hamuko.

"Psst… Hamuko, sit down!" Minato harshly whispered. "People are staring at us!"

"Huh?" Hamuko took a look around to see that everyone was indeed looking in their direction with varying degrees of confusion on their faces. "Oh! Uh… nothing to see here, people! Move along now!" And she slowly sunk back into her seat, blushing just as much as Yukari, leaving an awkward silence in the cafe.

"So… um…" Minato tried to end the silence after a couple of minutes. "Anyways… Eurydice was Orpheus' wife and the daughter of Apollo, Greek god of the sun. One day, a snake bit her on the heel and she died. Orpheus ventured into the Underworld to reclaim her. By using his music, he was able to persuade the rulers of the Underworld, Hades and Persephone, to let him take her back to the realm of the living on the condition that he walk in front of her and not look back until both were back in realm of the living. However, Orpheus was impatient and once he was back in the living realm, he looked back, forgetting that both of them had to be in the living realm. He only glimpsed upon her for a second before Hermes, the messenger of the gods, whisked her away, never to be seen again. Orpheus would eventually meet his end by being torn into pieces by the female followers of Dionysus, the god of wine; the only things left from the carnage were Orpheus' head and his lyre. Well, that'd explain the organic head and mechanical body…"

"That's so sad!" Hamuko was crying into a napkin.

"Wow, poor guy. I certainly help the same thing doesn't happen to you, Minato-kun. And I certainly wouldn't want Hamuko-chan to suffer like Eurydice did," Yukari expressed her worry.

"We'll be fine, Yukari-chan, don't worry," said Hamuko.

"Yeah. It'll take more than a mob of girls to take me down," Minato smirked.

"Okay," Yukari nodded. "You know, now that I think about it, it sorta sounds like the myth of Izanagi and Izanami."

"True, there are similarities," Minato agreed. "However, I don't think Eurydice ended up hating Orpheus like Izanami was with Izanagi."

"Yeah, I could never hate you, aniki," Hamuko smiled.

"Thank you, imoto," Minato smiled, then turned his attention to Yukari. "So, Yukari-chan, what's the name of your Persona?" he asked. "I wonder what kind of history it might have."

"Well…" Yukari turned away, blushing. "To be completely honest, I don't know."

"You don't know? How come?" Hamuko asked.

"I… I've never summoned my Persona before," Yukari sheepishly admitted.

"What?" Minato was surprised. "Are you pulling my leg?"

"Nope. The first time I tried to summon my Persona was on the roof," said Yukari. "Before that, Ikutsuki and the sempai didn't think I was ready for battle. Gomen. I've only been in S.E.E.S. for a few weeks. I wish I wasn't such a rookie…"

_'So, she's just as new as we are, except for battle experience,'_ Minato observed.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Yukari-chan," said Hamuko.

"She's right. Even though we've dealt with it for years, we're still relatively new to the S.E.E.S. business, just like you," Minato assured her. "We'll all be learning together."

"Thanks, you two. You're just so assuring," Yukari smiled, honestly appreciating the Arisatos' kind words. "It's a nice change from Mitsuru-sempai's cold demeanor and Akihiko-sempai's aloof, 'I must fight the Shadows!' attitude."

_'Wow. Sounds like home,'_ Minato realized. _'I guess what they say is true: The more things change, the more they stay the same.'_

"Sounds like grandfather and Naoko-chan," Hamuko giggled. "Except grandfather is the aloof one and Naoko-chan is the cold one."

"The famous Shirogane Satoshi is aloof? You serious?" Yukari asked. "Then why do you refer to him so formally?"

"Out of respect for him. He's done so much for us," answered Minato. "That, and that we were raised to address elder family members formally."

"I see. You two really do love your family, don't you?" asked Yukari.

"Hai. I love my grandfather, Naoko-chan, Izako-daibo, Yakushiji-san, and my aniki," Hamuko answered, joy evident in her voice.

"Yakushiji-san?" Yukari asked.

"Grandfather's assistant," Minato informed her.

"Ah, okay," she nodded.

"So, Yukari-chan, do you know the names of the sempais' Persona?" Minato asked.

"Hm…" Yukari thought for a moment. "I think Mitsuru-sempai's is 'Penthesilea' and Akihiko-sempai's is 'Polydeucus'."

"Okay…" Minato's fingers flew on the keyboard, searching for information. "Ah, here we go," he smiled as he finished off the sandwich in his hand. "Penthesilea was the sister of Hippolyta, the Amazonian queen, and the daughter of Ares, Greek god of war. She had accidentally killed Hippolyta with a spear, which caused her so much grief, that she wanted to die, but her honor as an Amazon demanded that she couldn't die by her own hand and had to die in battle. To do so, she entered the Trojan War on the side of the Trojans and was slain by the Greek hero Achilles, who had fallen in love with her."

"That's just as sad as Orpheus and Eurydice," Hamuko sniffed.

"Man, why do these things have to be so depressing?" Yukari sighed.

"I honestly have no clue," said Minato. "As for Polydeucus, or Pollux as he's better know, he is the son of Zeus and twin brother of Castor. However, the twins had different fathers, leaving Pollux immortal and Castor mortal. When Castor died, Pollux pleaded with Zeus to allow him to share his immortality with his brother so that they could be together. Zeus honored his wish and transformed them into the Gemini, the star constellation."

"Okay, seriously. What is with our Personas and having tragic histories with them?" Hamuko asked. "And they're all Greek at that."

"It is odd that they're all Greek. Why that is, I don't know. What I do know is that the greatest heroes often are born from tragedy, Hamuko," Minato replied. "Tragedy breeds resolve. Resolve breeds revolution and change."

"I suppose that's true, but still…" Hamuko sighed.

"Yeah, I know. I wish tragedy didn't occur at all," Minato finished her train of thought. "Anyways, that's all the Personas then."

"What about Thanatos?" Yukari suddenly asked.

"Thanatos?" Hamuko asked, wondering what Yukari was talking about.

"Thantaos. The name of that Persona that exploded out of Orpheus," Yukari explained. "Minato-kun knew its name."

"How do you know its name, aniki?" Hamuko asked, curious as well.

_'Oh, crap!'_ Minato began to sweat. _'I forgot I blabbed about that. Now what do I do? Do I tell the truth? Or make something up?'_

"Aniki?" Hamuko got his attention.

"Oh, um…" _'Well, grandfather said the truth is always the best way to go…' _"Well, I doubt you'll believe me, but…" Minato sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know because a man with the longest nose I've ever seen told me in my dreams."

"What," both Yukari and Hamuko said, obviously confused.

"Yeah, I know it's weird, but run with me on this one," Minato tried to convince them. "Anyways, this weird man with a long nose called 'Igor' and his assistant 'Elizabeth' have appeared in my dreams a couple of times now: Once during my first couple of days here in Iwatodai and again when I was in my week-long coma. The first time we met, he explained that I had signed a contract stating that I was to accept all responsibility for my actions, and in exchange he would help as best he could with my power; it wasn't until later that I knew he was talking about Personas. Also, during that first meeting, they gave me a key." Minato reached into his pocket and pulled out the Velvet Key, laying it on the table. "I assume that this leads to some kind of door or something like that."

"Wow, I've never seen anything like this," Yukari glanced at the key. "It's so beautiful."

"Aniki, I remember that you were mumbling something about a contract when we first arrived in the dorm during the Dark Hour. Is that the contract that this 'Igor' brought up?" Hamuko asked.

"Yes. Some boy was in the lobby and insisted I sign a contract. And he even said that Hamuko would get her own contract soon," Minato replied.

"Me? A contract?" Hamuko seemed stunned. "Did he mean Eurydice?"

"Most likely," Minato replied.

"There was a boy in the lobby?" Yukari asked. "Wait! I remember you mentioning it when I showed you to your room."

"Yes. From your answer and Hamuko's actions, I'm apparently the only one who can see him. He appeared again last night; he warned me that 'the end of everything' is coming, whatever he means. He wasn't very specific about it. I don't know if he's in kahootz with Igor or not," Minato told Yukari.

"This is very unbelievable, Minato-kun," Yukari stated as she handed the Velvet Key to Hamuko.

"I know, Yukari-chan. I find it hard to believe myself, but that Velvet Key is proof of my story," Minato argued. "And that's not all."

"Really? What else is there?" Hamuko asked as she examined the key herself.

"When I met Igor again during my coma, he told me that I possess a power known as the 'Wild Card'," Minato continued.

"'Wild Card'? What's that?" Hamuko asked as she gave Minato back the Velvet Key.

"I don't know," Minato pocketed his key. "Igor never explained it to me. He did say, however, that I can develop my Wild Card powers by developing my Social Links."

"Social Links?" Yukari asked.

"My emotional ties with others. Strengthening the bonds I make," Minato explained. "It's already happened twice."

"Twice? When?" Hamuko asked.

"The first time was in the hospital. After I had asked Yukari-chan to stay, I formed a bond with her," Minato recalled.

"A bond with me?" Yukari seemed confused. "You mean I became one of your 'Social Links'?"

"Apparently," Minato nodded. "The other time was last night, when Hamuko and I decided to join S.E.E.S. Both times, a card appeared along with a creepy voice. The voice said that my bond with Yukari-chan is represented by the Lovers Arcana and my bond with S.E.E.S. is that of the Fool Arcana, whatever those may be."

"That seems so odd, aniki," Hamuko noted.

"I know. It makes as much sense as sitting on your head," Minato shook his head.

"Arcana… Where have I heard that before…" Yukari muttered.

"Yukari-chan?" Minato asked, concerned about her.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Minato-kun, can I see your laptop?"

"Um… sure?" he handed it over, confused about what Yukari had in mind.

Yukari spent a minute or two searching the Internet for what she had recalled. "Found it!" she proclaimed. She spun the laptop around to show Minato and Hamuko pictures of cards. "Do any of these look familiar?"

Minato took a few moments to examine the cards. Some were pretty normal looking, like the ones that had a picture of a sun, a picture of a moon, and one of a star on it. Then there were some that looked odd, like a destroyed tower, a wheel with a sword stabbing it, and what appeared to be a fusion of a sword and measuring scales. Then he came across two very familiar cards. _'Wait! I know those!'_ he recalled.

"I recognize a couple of them: the one with the tree and heart and the one with the man and dog," Minato pointed out. "Those are the cards that represented the bonds I had formed."

"I thought so. Minato-kun, these are the cards of the Major Arcana, found in Tarot decks," Yukari explained.

"Tarot cards? As in fortune telling?" Hamuko asked.

"Correct. There's the Major Arcana, represented by these cards, and the Minor Arcana, represented by the sword, wand, cup, and coin," Yukari continued her explanation. "There are twenty-two Major Arcana, represented by the numbers zero through twenty-one. The Major Arcana are, in order: Fool, Magician, Priestess, Empress, Emperor, Hierophant, Lovers, Chariot, Justice, Hermit, Fortune, Strength, Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, Devil, Tower, Star, Moon, Sun, Judgment, and World."

"Twenty-two!?" Minato seemed shocked. "I'll be forming twenty-two different bonds? That seems like a lot of work. And that's if I don't make Minor Arcana bonds as well, or even something off the wall occurs. How exactly did you know this, Yukari-chan?"

"I remember a lecture Edogawa-sensei gave once about the Tarot cards. If you want to learn more, I suggest seeing him," Yukari recommended.

"Thank you, Yukari-chan," Minato smiled. "I take it that the both of you believe my story then?"

"You're my aniki; even if you're bonkers in the head, I'll still stick by you. However, I feel you might be telling the truth," Hamuko admitted. "Besides, you've never lied to me before."

"I'm glad to hear that, Hamuko," said Minato. "What about you, Yukari-chan? You believe my story?"

"To be honest, I still find it hard to swallow," she admitted. "Then again, the whole thing about Shadows, the Dark Hour, and Personas is unbelievable as well…"

"It's okay, Yukari-chan, I understand," Minato sighed.

"No, no! Minato-kun, you misunderstand me. I said I find it hard to swallow. That doesn't mean I don't believe you," she corrected him.

"You believe me?" he asked, flabbergasted.

"Do you have any reason to lie to me?" Yukari glared at Minato.

"No, ma'am!" he hastily replied. _'Damn, she's just as scary as Mitsuru-sempai!'_

"Aniki wouldn't lie unless he absolutely had to!" Hamuko protested. "And even then, it's only to protect people!"

"I see…" Yukari nodded. "Then I believe you, Minato-kun."

"Thank you, Yukari-chan," Minato smiled.

"Aniki, how exactly are you going to establish all these bonds? Normally, you're like a clam when it comes to social situations. In fact, I'm surprised you've been as open with Yukari-chan as you have been," Hamuko noted.

"Hamuko, just because I don't like social situations doesn't mean I can't hold a meaningful conversation," Minato argued. "I've just never really had a reason to converse with people much, but I think I'll mange just fine. As for Yukari-chan… well… I honestly don't know. I… I guess I just feel like I can be myself around her without fear of judgment."

"M-Minato-kun…" Yukari blushed. "Thanks…" Hamuko noticed the nervous Minato and blushing Yukari. Her mouth slowing formed into a grin that threatened to split her face in half.

"Do I sense something more than a bond here?" she sweetly asked.

"What do you mean?" Hamuko asked.

"Do you two have a crush on each other?" she teased, getting to the point.

"What!? No! I don't have a crush on him. He's just a friend, Hamuko-chan," Yukari quickly answered.

"Hamuko… you really shouldn't do that. All I was saying is that I'm comfortable around Yukari-chan," Minato reprimanded his sister. "And if something were to happen, I'd rather it develop naturally than being forcefully pushed along."

"Okay, aniki, whatever you say…" Hamuko dropped the subject.

"So, Minato-kun, are you going to tell the sempai and Ikutsuki about all this?" Yukari asked. "Ikutsuki's a scientist; he may be able to give you some answers."

"A scientist, you say?" Minato asked, an eyebrow quirked.

* * *

An image of a mad scientist's lab appeared in Minato's mind. Minato was strapped down to a table, stripped naked from the waist up. He was hooked up to machines, which were hooked up to a lightning rod stationed outside. Ikutsuki was dressed in a lab coat, looking over Minato with a steely gaze. "Igor, scalpel!" Ikutsuki called out.

"Yes, Master…" a man slithered out of the shadows, revealing himself to be the same Igor from the Velvet Room. He handed Ikutsuki a scalpel and laughed evilly, wiggling his fingers together.

"You know what they say…" Ikutsuki examined his scalpel. "The first cut…" he loomed over Minato. "…is always the deepest."

* * *

"Uuugh!" Minato let out a loud shudder.

"Aniki, you okay?" Hamuko asked.

"I just saw the Chairman as Doctor Frankenstein," he confessed. Hamuko and Yukari gasped loudly.

"Oh hell, that's scary!" Hamuko shuddered as well.

"The mere thought gives me goosebumps," Yukari rubbed her arms. "I don't know what would be worse: the mad scientist part or the bad puns that he would make." All three of them shuddered at the same time, all equally afraid of the possibilities.

"I don't think I should tell him or the sempai; besides, I doubt any of them would believe me like you two did," said Minato. "I'm still surprised you two believe me. Well… more Yukari-chan than Hamuko."

"Like I said, you have no reason to lie to me, so there," Yukari replied. "So, what about Thanatos? What's its story?"

Minato glanced back at his screen and searched for info on Thantatos. "Well, I'll be damned."

"What is it, aniki?" Hamuko asked.

"Thanatos is the personification of Death itself…" he whispered. "Son of Nyx, goddess of the night, and Erebus, god of darkness, and twin brother of Hypnos, god of sleep, he basically served the purpose of Grim Reaper."

"Wow… That's kinda scary," said Yukari.

"So, what does that make you, aniki? The Avatar of Death? The Angel of Death?" Hamuko asked.

"Heavens, I hope not!" Minato exclaimed.

"Yeah, being the harbinger of Death doesn't sound exciting…" Hamuko took another sip of her drink.

"Let's just hope our Personas are not predictions of our future…" Yukari wished, hoping for the best.

* * *

After hanging out at Chagal Café for awhile longer and talking about Personas and Igor, the three of them left, for it was getting late. As they departed the café, Yukari spotted someone coming out of the pharmacy nearby. "Hey, isn't that Akihiko-sempai?" she asked, pointing in the direction of the pharmacy.

Minato and Hamuko looked in the direction Yukari indicated. Sure enough, Akihiko was indeed coming out of the pharmacy, a small bag in hand. Akihiko happened to glance in their direction and recognized them. "Oh, hey guys!" he called out to them.

"What's up, sempai?" Hamuko asked he and the girls walked over to Akihiko.

"Mitsuru and I finished cleaning up our new dorm mate's room. However, it still kinda smells, since it hasn't been used in so long, so Mitsuru sent me out to go find some air freshener," Akihiko informed them, holding up the bag in his hand for emphasis.

"Ah, I see. So, when's the new guy supposed to arrive?" Minato asked.

"Actually, it shouldn't be too long from now. If we hurry, we should be able to beat him to the dorm," said Akihiko.

"Excellent. Then let's get going," Minato ordered.

A short time later, the four S.E.E.S members returned to the dorm as the sun was setting behind them. As they entered the dorm, they found Mitsuru sitting in a chair, reading a book.

"Good evening," she greeted them. "Akihiko, did you bring the air freshener?"

"I did," he held up the bag. "Has our newest resident arrived yet?"

"He has," Mitsuru put her book away. "He's getting settled in as we speak. He'll be down any moment now."

_'So we'll finally get to meet this mystery student. I wonder what he's like…'_

"So, who is this new guy?" Yukari asked the question on their minds.

"You'll see…" Akihiko nodded.

"Hey, sempai! Has Akihiko-sempai returned with that air freshener yet? My room smells like ass!" Everyone turned to the stairs to see Junpei walking down them, his hands behind his head in a lazy manner.

"JUNPEI!?" Yukari screeched out, completely shocked to see him.

_'What!? Junpei is the new recruit!? Are the sempai serious? He seems to be a good guy and all, but…'_

"Everyone, this is Iori Junpei, of class 2-F," Mitsuru introduced Junpei as he walked up to the group. "From today on, he will be a resident of this dorm."

"Whazzup, everyone?" Junpei grinned.

"He's staying HERE!? You've got to be kidding me!" Yukari exclaimed.

"Is he really staying here?" Hamuko asked.

"I bumped into him the other night. He has the potential, but he just awakened to it recently…" Akihiko explained the situation. "I told him about us and he agreed to help."

"You have the potential!? For real!?" Yukari cried out in disbelief.

"He found me cryin' like a baby at the convenience store, surrounded by a bunch of coffins. I don't remember much, but man, that was embarrassing!" Junpei recalled. "He said that's, ya know, completely normal… in the beginning, like, being confused and not remembering anything. Did ya guys know that?"

"Yeah. My first few experiences in the Dark Hour are fuzzy at best," said Minato.

"Same here," Hamuko added.

"Oh, that's good," Junpei sighed in relief. "You should, since you're all Persona-users. But man, I was shocked to find out about you guys. I had no idea and I'm glad I'm not the only one. It could get kinda lonely, ya know."

"I agree," Minato interrupted. "The Dark Hour can be quite lonely, especially when you're the only one aware of it."

"I bet you're all stoked, right!?" Junpei exclaimed. "Havin' me join and all…"

_ 'Well, I guess he deserves a chance,'_ Minato quirked an eyebrow.

"Huh? Uh, yeah…" Yukari replied in a non-convincing tone.

"Well, we'll see," Hamuko said in a so-so tone.

"Well, enough with the introductions," Akihiko interrupted them. "I think we're about ready…"

_'Ready for what?'_ Minato was on alert.

"Oh, are we going to do something!? Sweetness!" Junpei jumped for joy.

"What exactly are we going to do, sempai?" Hamuko asked.

"With this many people, we can start exploring that place," Akihiko answered Hamuko's question.

"That place?" Minato asked.

"Wait… You mean… Tartarus?" Yukari seemed to fill in the blanks.

_'Tartarus? Where did I hear that word before?'_ the word rang a bell. _'Wait! Are they talking about…'_

"Tartarus? What's that? It sounds like toothpaste," said Junpei.

"I assure you, Iori, that Tartarus is not toothpaste. It is a place and we believe that we can find the reason for the Dark Hour there," Mitsuru answered the question.

"I hope so…" Yukari sighed.

"The Chairman will give us the details tomorrow night, so be ready," Akihiko warned them.

"I advise you all to get a good night's rest for tomorrow will be a huge day for you all," Mitsuru advised them; with that, she turned on her heels and went upstairs.

"I suggest spending this time getting to know each other. After all, starting tomorrow, you'll all be fighting side by side," said Akihiko. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have something to take care." And Akihiko went upstairs as well, but not before giving Junpei the air freshener.

"Well, now what?" Hamuko asked.

"I still need to get settled in. Anyone wanna help?" Junpei asked.

"I'll help you, Junpei-kun," Hamuko responded, and she and Junpei went upstairs as well.

Yukari turned to Minato, who had a strange expression on his face. "You okay, Minato-kun?" she asked.

"We're going to a place called Tartarus? What is it?" Minato asked.

"What?" Yukari was caught off guard. "Well, the sempai never told me much about it; they have told me that it is a place that only appears during the Dark Hour and that Shadows regularly come out of there. I've seen it once and it's quite a sight, and not in a good way. Why do you ask?"

"Because, when I read Orpheus' history, it referred to the Underworld as 'Tartarus'," Minato explained. "In other words, Tartarus is another name for Hell."

"What!?" Yukari gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "You serious?"

"I am. Whatever this Tartarus place is, I do know one thing," Minato sighed. "It's bound to be hell."

* * *

And we have come to the end of another chapter. I hope you liked it. And next chapter, we head to Tartarus!

_**Green Midnight Dictionary:**_

**c'est magnifique:** French for 'most magnificent'

**Parlez-vous du français?:** French for 'Do you speak French?'

**Oui:** French for 'Yes'


	7. Chapter 7: Tartarus

Welcome to a new chapter of Green Midnight, new and veteran readers alike! As you can guess by the chapter title, we're going to Tartarus! But first, reviews!

Hareru1995: Yes, Thanatos and Hypnos are brothers. Specifically, they're twins. And thanks. Your brother, eh? Has he commented on my vids as well?

ravenwingcorps: Thank you. I am also looking forward to developing Hamuko.

mangafreak7793: Yes, I am Lunardragon. No 'the', though. Makes it sound like I have an ego. Too much Minato/Yukari for you? Well, I thought I had balanced that out with Hamuko and the background info, but I guess that was my personal taste. Don't worry, though. You shouldn't see an overindulgence of that often.

viperzero: Minato was in a coma for a week after the Magician battle on the dorm roof. Why else would he awaken in a hospital? Besides, if you were out cold for a week, I'd classify that as a coma. Also, recall that Edogawa periodically substitutes for other teachers. He most like substituted for one of Yukari's classes and lectured about Arcana that day.

SpecialAgentOrange: While I do acknowledge your point regarding Minato telling people about the Velvet Room, for I do agree that normal people and most of S.E.E.S. would be looking at him as you so described, Hamuko and Yukari are exceptions to this rule. If you haven't been paying attention to the six chapters up to this point, I'll give you a quick recap of Hamuko and Yukari's relationship with Minato. Hamuko basically idolizes her brother and twin, Minato. She has an unshakable belief in him and a bond that only comes from trust, friendship, and belief in family. Even if he sounds farfetched and nutty, Hamuko would still believe in him. That is why she believes Minato. As for Yukari, during the course of the last six chapters, the two have formed a bond. The two have opened up to each other a little, started a Social Link, and Minato also saved her when the Magician Shadow attacked. Not only that, they feel at ease when with each other for a reason that is not explained. Also, Minato has been consistently honest with her, even while Yukari basically tried to attack him and Hamuko back in the first chapter. It is for those reasons that Yukari is willing to give Minato the benefit of the doubt and trust his story. If you could see inside Yukari's head (which you cannot, since the story is from Minato's PoV), you would know that, while Yukari is willing to trust Minato, she's still somewhat wary of the Velvet Room story. Also, I think you're the lone dissenting vote regarding this chapter, sorry. I cannot promise that future chapters will be up to your expectations, but I do hope you will stick around.

Patcheresu: Thank you. And I do know of Mother 3. Unfounded Revenge is one of my top ten Video Game Songs. FTW!

Echo the Ethereal Swordmaster: I loved that part as well. The Velvet siblings are named after Frankenstein characters? Is that so? I'll have to go check that out.

DeadBrain: Why thank you. I hope to see more reviews from you too!

Oblivionkey99: Wow, six reviews. Well, I'll answer them all at once. First off, I remember seeing that story in passing. As soon as I get some free time, I'll give it a gander and drop my two cents in. Next, you're assuming that Toriumi/Maya is the Hermit Social Link in this story. I'll go ahead and say she's not; someone else gets that link. However, Toriumi still gets a Social Link in this story. You'll be see that in the next few chapters. As for Naoko/Naoto, that's a tweak for this story, but it is a popular fan theory; TVTropes goes into great detail about that theory. As for the Chapter 3 review, Minato doesn't have a Mitsuru-complex; its that she scares the ever-loving crap out of him. And Hamuko (whom you labeled as Minako) doesn't have a Yukari-complex. Yukari's the one who has a complex, but it's an inferior complex regarding Mitsuru. And I do try giving a flavor of humor to Minato whenever I can. I'm also glad to see that you agree with me regarding the Lovers Social Link. I also hope you can wait, cause it will be a LONG time before we get to the end. Will I be displaying the calendar date? Well, tell ya what. Starting this chapter, I'll be sure to label the date at the bottom of my author's notes.

And with all that out of the way, let's get our butts to Tartarus! Enjoy!

**In-Game Date:** April 20, 2009

* * *

**_Chapter 7:_**_ Tartarus_

After a good night's rest, Minato arrived at Gekkoukan feeling great. As he and Hamuko approached the school gates, they overheard a couple of students talking. "Good morning. I'm always so drowsy on Monday mornings…" the girl yawned as she greeted her friend.

"Yeah, me too," her friend replied. "The only thing you can do is to sleep through first period. Wait…" she recalled something. "Tomorrow is when we have morning assembly!"

"Uggh…" the first girl groaned. "I'm too lazy for that. I'll just pretend I didn't hear that." As the bell rang, the two gossiping girls ran off to their classes.

"Hey, Hamuko, what was that assembly they're talking about?" Minato asked.

"Oh, that's right. While you were out cold, they held Student Council elections. Tomorrow's assembly is to announce who won. The new President will be giving a speech as well. Rumor has it that Mitsuru-sempai is our new Student Council President," Hamuko informed him.

"Really now? Well, that's bound to be interesting," Minato smirked. Another bell rang, forcing the twins to pick up the pace to avoid being late.

* * *

After a bout of morning classes, lunch had arrived. Junpei and Minato were striking up a friendly conversation while eating from their bento. Hamuko was drinking a can of soda as she read over the notes she had taken that morning. Yukari was struggling to stay awake, so she stood up to wake herself up. "Whoo!" Yukari yawned as she stretched. "I thought I was gonna fall asleep in there."

"I actually did. I don't know what is about the classroom, but it always makes me sleepy," Minato responded.

Just then, the door opened and Mitsuru walked in, getting everyone's attention. Whispers of 'Oh my gosh!' and 'Why is she here?' echoed in the room as she approached Minato and company.

"Can I have a minute?" Mitsuru asked the group. Everyone nodded, to which Mitsuru smiled. "Good. I ask that all of you come to the lounge on the fourth floor when you get back to the dorm. I have something to tell everyone."

_'I'm going to assume this is about Tartarus…'_ Minato thought.

"Oh, are we having that talk?" Junpei asked.

"I'll save the details for later," Mitsuru replied. "See you there." With that, Mitsuru left as quickly as she arrived.

_'Damn. I barely heard any emotion in her voice,'_ Minato noticed.

"Wow, she didn't waste any time leaving…" Junpei observed.

"She's meticulously efficient," Hamuko agreed with him.

"She's probably busy with things like Student Council, unlike us," Yukari scoffed, a dirty look on her face.

_'I'm guessing all is not sunshine and daisies between those two. I wonder why?' _

"Whoa, Yuka-tan!" Junpei held up his hand in defense. "Do I sense some hostility?"

"Well, it's not that I don't like her…" she defended herself.

"Then what is it?" Hamuko asked.

"Well, it's just that she's just… well… I hate it when she looks down on us. She looks at us like we're her damn pawns and not people," Yukari admitted.

_'Oh, it's an inferiority complex? Or is it just plain jealousy?' _he deduced.

"Yukari-chan… Grandfather taught us that there are all kinds of people in the world and that not all of them are going to compatible with you. While we can try and change them, sometimes it's easier and for the best to just suck it up and let them change on their own for change cannot be forced," said Hamuko. "Besides, there's always a reason someone acts the way they do."

"Wow, Hamu-chan. That was… inspiring," Junpei wiped a tear from his eye.

"Hamuko-chan…" Yukari sighed.

"Wow, imoto, that was rather impressive and mature." Minato complimented her.

"Thanks," Hamuko smiled.

"…I guess you're right," said Yukari. "Doesn't mean I have to like it, though…"

* * *

After school, Minato, Hamuko, Yukari, and Junpei quickly returned to the dorm for the meeting. When they arrived at the lounge on the fourth floor, they found Ikutsuki, Mitsuru, and Akihiko already there.

"Excelllent. Everyone's here," Ikutsuki smiled. "Please. Sit down." All four teens took their seats. "I'd like your undivided attention. For the longest time, Mitsuru and Akihiko were the only Persona-users we had. But, that number recently jumped to six. Therefore…" Ikutsuki rested his chin on his hands. "Starting tonight at midnight, I'd like to commence the exploration of Tartarus."

"So, we're going on an expedition?" Hamuko asked.

"Exactly," Ikutuski replied.

"Yeah! I love exploring!" Hamuko chirped.

"Sorry… I asked this yesterday, but what's this 'Tartarus' thing again?" Junpei rubbed his head in embarrassment.

"You haven't seen it, Junpei?" Yukari asked.

"Hm?" Junpei seemed confused.

"I doubt so, Yukari-chan. He only just awoke to his power. And Hamuko and I haven't seen it yet, even though we've been here for a couple of weeks now," said Minato.

"It's no surprise, since it only appears during the Dark Hour," Ikutuski added.

"The Dark Hour?" Junpei was unfamiliar with the term.

"Remember when everyone turned to coffins, nothing would work, water turned to blood, and everything was illuminated green?" Minato asked Junpei, who nodded. "That was the Dark Hour. Hamuko and I refer to it as Green Midnight, but I guess the Dark Hour is the official name?"

"That is correct, Arisato," Mitsuru confirmed Minato's guess.

"Ah, okay, I get it," Junpei nodded.

"Tartarus appears during the Dark Hour, just like the Shadows. Interesting, huh?" Akihiko evilly smiled. "And it's the perfect place for us to train. You can think of it as a Shadow nest."

"Whoa… Their nest, huh?" Junpei said with amazement.

_'Do the Shadows really come from Tartarus?'_ Minato asked himself. _'I know Yukari-chan said a bunch of Shadow come from there, but is it really their birthplace?'_

"But, Sempai, what about your injury?" Yukari asked Akihiko.

_'Ah, that's right. I recall that that Akihiko-sempai was clutching his chest in Igor's flashback. Cracked ribs, I'm guessing?'_

"Since Akihiko hasn't fully recovered yet, he'll only come as far as the entrance," Mitsuru shot Akihiko a death glare.

_'Damn, that woman gets scarier every time she does that!'_

"Yeah, I know," Akihiko looked away sheepishly.

"Well, I'm sure he won't complain, as long as you don't go too far in," said Ikutsuki. "Since we're dealing with Shadows, Tartarus isn't something we can avoid."

"Is Tartarus really all that important?" Minato asked.

"We believe so," Mitsuru answered.

"Relax, I've got your backs," Junpei assured everyone.

"As long as we work together, we should be fine," Hamuko added.

"I'm not so sure about this…" Yukari sighed, doubt evident in her tone.

_'Doubt? Why is Yukari doubting herself?_' Minato noticed _'I mean, if anyone, I would think it'd be my imoto doubting herself, with the Evokers and everything…'_ "What about you, Chairman-san? Are you coming along as well?" Minato asked.

"I'll stay here. As you know, I can't summon a Persona," Ikutsuki replied.

_ 'Bleh. I bet that even if he did, he'd make us go without him,'_ Minato mocked him.

* * *

The group spent the next several hours getting ready for the expedition. When eleven o'clock came around, the group gathered their Evokers and, minus Mitsuru, departed the dorm for Iwatodai Station, Mitsuru saying she'd meet them there. Once at the station, they boarded the train and set off for Port Island. After arriving at Tatsumi Port Island, S.E.E.S. left for Tartarus' location. After a few minutes of walking, Minato decided to ask something that had been bugging him.

"Sempai, where exactly is Tartarus?" Minato asked.

"We'll be there shortly, so be patient," Akihiko assured him.

"Okay," Minato replied. _'But… this is the way to school. Don't tell me that… No, that'd just be WAY too weird…'_

After a bit more walking, the group arrived at the gates of Gekkoukan High School. Mitsuru was waiting outside, standing next to a motorcycle with audio equipment attached to it. "Wow, that's a sick motorcycle, sempai!" Junpei exclaimed. "That yours?"

"This is indeed my motorcycle, Iori," Mitsuru answered. "But do NOT touch it or I will execute you!"

_'Shoot, this woman is always scary!'_ Minato took a step back. _'But she rides a motorcycle? Closet adrenaline junkie?'_

"Anyways… Welcome to Tartarus," Mitsuru informed them.

"This is it? THIS is the place?" Junpei seemed surprised. "Why HERE?"

"Sempai, are you pulling my leg?" Hamuko was skeptical.

"You can't be serious. Tartarus is here, at school?" Minato voiced his skepticism.

"Just wait a few minutes; it's almost midnight," Akihiko assured them. The group just stood there at Gekkoukan's gates for the next couple of minutes, awaiting the Dark Hour. Suddenly, as the clock struck twelve, everything was illuminated green, signaling the Dark Hour. But that was not all, as the ground began to quake.

"What the hell is going on!?" Junpei shouted.

"Look!" Hamuko pointed toward the school.

Everyone looked towards the school to see that something was sprouting out from it like a flower. A mass of twisted steel, concrete, glass, and various other materials began to reach towards the sky like a beanstalk. After a few moments, the twisted tower stopped growing and stood there, reaching to the moon. "What the devil is that!?" Minato demanded to know.

"This is Tartarus, the labyrinth that reveals itself during the Dark Hour," Mitsuru explained.

"THAT is Tartarus!?" Hamuko pointed towards the giant monstrosity.

"It is," Misturu nodded.

"Holy crap…" the twins whispered at the same time.

"Labyrinth? What are you talking about!? What happened to our school!?" Junpei was in a panic.

"Calm down, Iori. Once the Dark Hour passes, everything returns to normal and Tartarus fades away," Mitsuru attempted to calm it down.

Junpei suddenly whipped his attention to Akihiko. "This is the 'nest' you were talking about!? But why!? Why'd our school turn into a giant tower!?" Everyone was silent, unwilling or unable to give an answer.

_'That is a good question, Junpei. Why is Tartarus HERE of all places?'_ Minato asked himself.

After a couple of moments, Junpei was able to reel in his hysteria and faced Mitsuru. "You don't know either?" he asked her.

"…No," she replied after a moment of hesitation.

_ 'Wait. Why did hesitate in answering? Does she know?'_

"I'm sure it's complicated. Who cares anyways?" Yukari brushed it off. "It's not like it would change our minds about fighting."

"Oh, but it would, Yukari-chan," Hamuko interrupted. "What if this tower is the only thing holding back the true evils that the Dark Hour brings? What if by messing with what's inside, we makes thing worse? What if this came from some madman's disturbed mind? What if the whole reason this Tartarus and the Dark Hour are here is because this was the lesser of two evils?" Everyone looked at Hamuko like she had grown two heads. Mitsuru, in particular, looked like she was about to pass out.

_'Strange as Hamuko's rant seems, she does have a point…'_ Minato mentally acknowledged.

"Just kidding!" Hamuko broke the silence while chuckling. "I'm sure it's nothing serious." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and Mitsuru regained her composure.

"Hamuko-chan! Don't scare me like that!" Yukari fussed at her.

"Sorry, Yukari-chan," Hamuko apologized. She then turned and winked at Minato.

_'Ah, I see what happened. Good one, imoto. Get these people wondering. Grandfather always said to never be satisfied with a given answer. Always search for the truth,'_ Minato praised his sister.

"Well, maybe we'll find out the reason now," said Akihiko. "Mitsuru and I have only gone in to take a peek; this will be our first time exploring it. Exciting, isn't it?" Akihiko slammed his fist into his free hand. "There has to be some sort of clue in here about the Dark Hour…"

Mitsuru walked up to Akihiko and put a hand on his shoulder. "Akihiko, while I do respect your enthusiasm, you will NOT be accompanying us today, understand?"

"I know," Akihiko frowned like a kid whose candy had been taken away. "You don't have to remind me."

_'Damn. She has him whipped. Does that mean there's something going on between those two?'_ Minato let out a light chuckle.

"All right then. Everyone, let's go!" Mitsuru ordered as she walked over to her motorcycle. She then began walking it into Tartarus, Akihiko right behind her. Yukari and Junpei were behind them, leaving the twins to take the rear.

"Ready, aniki?" Hamuko asked.

"Ready," Minato replied. They then walked through the double doors into Tartarus.

* * *

Inside, the six of them took a look around. There was a giant staircase that went to the next floor, the entryway being a part of a clock's face. To the left of the staircase was a miniature golden grandfather clock. Near the entryway into Tartarus was an orange device that had green light shining from its platform.

_'Wonder what those things are for?'_ Minato wondered.

"Whoa… It's just as cool on the inside…" Junpei stared in awe.

_'Wow. He got over his shock fast. Is he like Hamuko?'_

"It sure is creepy…" Yukari shuddered.

"It feels odd, yet nostalgic for some reason," Hamuko added.

"Nostalgic?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah. I can't really explain it, but I feel comfortable here," Hamuko replied.

"You know, imoto, I kinda feel the same way," Minato added. "Sure, it's creepy, yet it feels like a second home to me."

"Dude, that's just weird," Junpei noted.

"Well, I'm guessing that spending a decade in the Dark Hour makes it feel like second nature to them," Mitsuru theorized.

"I guess so…" Hamuko shrugged.

_'This place really does seem nostalgic. I don't know why, but… it feels comfortable here,'_ Minato sighed.

"So, where are we exploring?" Hamuko asked.

"We'll be exploring the labyrinth beyond the doorway at the top of the stairs," Mitsuru pointed at the clock face at the top of the stairs.

"First, we'll have the four of you get a feel for this place," Akihiko informed them. "Why don't you go have a look around?"

"What!?" Yukari shouted in shock. "By ourselves!?"

_ 'Just me, imoto, Yukari-chan, and Junpei? Well, I am confident in my skills and Hamuko's skills. I saw that Yukari-chan was okay with a bow. However, I honestly have no idea how Junpei will fare. And then there's the whole 'Persona' thing,'_ Minato analyzed the situation.

"We're not asking you to go very far, and I'll be feeding you information from here," Mitsuru assured Yukari.

"So you two didn't plan on coming in the first place?" Junpei asked.

"Well, I didn't think Akihiko-sempai would, due to his injury," Hamuko answered. "But why would Mitsuru-sempai not be coming along?" She then turned to Mitsuru. "And how exactly will you be feeding us information?"

"With these." Mitsuru extended her hand. In her hand were three earpieces.

_'Mini-radios?'_ Minato recognized them. _'Well, that'd explain where Yukari-chan got hers during the night the Shadows attacked and who she was talking to.'_

"Take them and I can communicate with each of you," Mitsuru explained.

"And how will we be able to communicate with you?" Hamuko asked.

"Each transmitter also contains a small, yet powerful microphone. I'll be able to hear any and everything you say," said Mitsuru.

"Ah, okay," Hamuko nodded as she put in her earpiece. Everyone else did the same. Mitsuru then took a microphone from her motorcycle.

**"Testing, testing, un, deux, trois,"** Minato heard Mitsuru speak from the earpiece.

"I hear you loud and clear, sempai," Minato whispered, his hand covering his mouth.

"Excellent. It seems that both ways are working properly," Mitsuru smiled. "Also, would each of you please take one of these?" Mitsuru reached back into her motorcycle and pulled out a small bag. Everyone reached into the bag and pulled out metallic wristbands.

"Metallic wristbands?" Minato asked as he looked it over. "With a screen on it?"

"That is correct. Put them on and I'll explain what they do," Mitsuru ordered.

Everyone put on their armbands and waited for Mitsuru's explanation.

"Now, if you'll take a look at the screen," Mitsuru told them.

Minato took a look at the screen on the wristband. _'What the heck!?'_

"Sempai, what is this I'm looking at?" Minato asked.

"You would be looking at your 'stats'," said Mitsuru. "The Kirijo Group made these in order for Persona-users to keep track of how they are doing. These wristbands will analyze you and then project your stats on the screen." Mitsuru took Minato's wrist and pointed at the screen. "The screen lists your Persona's name. It also lists your level, health, spirit; your health is represented by 'Hit Points' and your spirit is represented by 'Spirit Points'."

_'Hm… There's Orpheus' name. It says I'm level two. I have seventy-two Hit Points and forty-nine Spirit Points.' _Minato read the screen.

"Ah, I see it, sempai," Hamuko nodded. "It shows Eurydice's name, that I'm level two, I have seventy Hit Points, and fifty Spirit Points."

"Hey! Mine's blank!" Junpei complained.

"Mine is too!" Yukari complained as well.

"That is because you two have yet to summon your Persona. The wristbands only work if you have already summoned your Persona," Mitsuru explained.

"Oh…" Junpei blushed in embarrassment.

"Sempai, what exactly do these numbers means?" Minato asked.

"Your level shows how strong you are. As you fight in more battles, you'll get stronger and your level will go up. Your Hit Points represent your stamina. As you get injured, that number will go down. Should it reach zero, you'll be unable to fight and most likely be knocked out. And if you're injured further after that, well… you don't wanna know," Akihiko explained, which made the four rookies gulp. "Spirit Points represent your magic. As you use spells, your 'SP' will decrease. Should you run out of SP, you cannot use spells."

"Wait, we can use magic?" Junpei asked.

"Should your Persona possess such skills, then yes," Mitsuru nodded.

"AWESOME!" Junpei cheered.

"Anyways, Arisato, if you press the button on your wristband, you'll go to a second screen," Mitsuru informed him.

"Oh?" Minato asked. He pressed the button found below the screen. The screen changed to list a different set of numbers.

"Strength: 2? Magic: 2? Endurance: 2? Agility: 4? Luck: 3 percent? What is this?" Minato was puzzled.

"Those would be your stats," Akihiko explained. "Each stat reflects how strong you are in certain areas. For example, Strength is how effective physical attacks and skills are. The higher the number, the more damage your weapons and Persona's physical skills will inflict."

"Sweet! So, the higher my Strength is, the more ass I can kick?" Junpei grinned.

"That is correct," Akihiko nodded.

"Wicked!" Junpei quaked in excitement.

"Magic is how strong your magical skills are. The higher, the better," Mitsuru continued to explain. "Endurance reflects your ability to resist attacks. Agility is a combination of how fast you are and how accurate you are. Luck, unlike the others, is measured as a percentage. It accounts for factors beyond your control. We have learned that, as this percentage increases, the more likely your Persona is to influence events in your favor."

"Wow…" Hamuko gasped.

"A question, semapi?" Minato interrupted.

"What is it, Arisato?" Mitsuru wondered what Minato wanted.

"Why is the Kirijo Group so invested in helping with dealing the Shadows, the Dark Hour, and Tartarus? The Evokers, the Dark Hour tech, the wristbands… What's the story, Mitsuru-sempai?" Minato interrogated her.

"The Kirijo Group is dedicated to helping everyone around the world. The Shadows and the Dark Hour are a threat, and to ensure the future of the Kirijo Group and the world, the Group is dedicated to doing whatever it can stopping them," Mitsuru explained with a straight face.

_ 'That does sound logical. People and corporations often do good to protect their own interests,'_ Minato acknowledged. "Okay, sempai, I understand. I hope you don't mind me constantly asking questions."

"No, no, Arisato, its okay," said Mitsuru. "I understand that you don't want to be walking into a situation blind."

_'Still, I should stop digging for now. Between Hamuko and myself, we're probably unnerved her,'_ he thought. "Thank you, sempai," Minato nodded.

"Anyways, we're going to appoint a leader to make any necessary decisions," Akihiko suddenly announced.

"For real? One of us?" Junpei gasped.

"That is correct. Akihiko, I'll let you choose," said Mitsuru.

"Okay, Mitsuru," Akihiko looked over the four rookies.

"Me me me! Pick me!" Junpei waved his hand in the air.

Akihiko spent another moment observing everyone before coming to a decision. "You're in charge," he pointed to Minato.

"Me?" Minato asked, wanting to be sure.

"Yes," Akihiko confirmed his situation.

_'Well, I guess it makes sense. Junpei is too new and easily excited. Yukari, while competent, has very little battle experience. And Hamuko is too dependent on me to be a leader,'_ Minato reasoned. _'I've never really liked taking the lead; I've always been more of a follower, assistant, or ideas man, not an executive. But, I'll do what I can to make sure everyone makes it through okay.' _"All right, Akihiko-sempai," Minato nodded. "I'll do my best."

"Excellent," Akihiko smirked.

"W-W-Wait! Why him!?" Junpei complained. "He doesn't look like a leader!"

_'What exactly is a leader suppose to look like? Cloud Strife? The Emperor of Japan? Son Goku?'_

"He has fought them before, Junpei," Yukari came to his defense. "And Hamuko-chan as well."

"Seriously?" Junpei was shocked.

"That's true, but there's another reason," said Akihiko. "You two…" he pointed to Junpei and Yukari as he drew his Evoker and put it to his temple. "Can you summon your Persona without any difficulties, like he can?"

"Yeah! Of course I can!" Junpei boasted.

"I think so," Yukari's answer lacked conviction.

_'Yukari-chan doesn't seem very confident in herself. I'll have to help her with that.'_

"What about you, Hamuko-san?" Akihiko turned his attention to the female Arisato. "Is your fear going to get in your way?"

"I'll do my best, Akihiko-sempai," Hamuko promised.

"And I'll be helping her every step of the way," Minato added.

"These are Shadows we're talking about here," Akihiko lowered his Evoker. "Without your Persona, you're screwed."

"Remember, sempai, we fought these Shadows more than once over the last decade," Minato motioned to himself to and Hamuko. "And we didn't have Personas then."

"Oh, that's right. I apologize. Regardless, without your Persona, you'll be a liability in there, endangering yourself and your team," Akihiko warned them.

"If you want to back out, now's your last chance. Back out now and we won't think any less of you. However, once you ascend those stairs, you will be obligated to help solve the mysteries of Tartarus and the Dark Hour," warned Mitsuru.

"I won't back down!" Junpei pounded his chest.

"I'm ready," Yukari nodded, holding her hands to her chest.

"Bring it!" Hamuko cheered.

"Let's do this," Minato solemnly nodded.

"Excellent. Before you go, here's some supplies," Mitsuru gave Minato a small burlap bag. "This has some first aid equipment, doses of adrenaline, smelling salts, and a few special 'surprises' for the Shadows. You may need them, either now or in the future."

"Thanks, Mitsuru-sempai," Minato slung the bag over his shoulder.

"Then, if you would proceed up the stairs, we shall begin the exploration of Tartarus," Mitsuru ordered.

As the party of four approached the stairs, Minato heard a weird sound. _'What was that? It sounded like a mix between a loud 'pop' and a phone ringing,' _he observed. Minato took a quick look around and noticed a rather peculiar glowing blue door off to the left. _'Where did that come from? I don't recall seeing that when I came in. Is that the source of that weird sound?'_ The Velvet Key in his pocket began vibrating slightly, as if to alert him to something. _'Wait. What's with the key? Is that my way into the Velvet Room?'_

Minato began walking towards the blue door. "Aniki?" Hamuko called out. "Where are you going?"

"I think I might've found my door. Gimme a minute," Minato told her.

"Door?" Hamuko cocked her head in confusion.

Minato approached the door and took out the Velvet Key. He put the key in the lock and turned the key. The lock opened with a soft 'pop'. "Well, I'll be. This is my lucky day. Let's see what Long Nose-san is up to," Minato spoke to himself, grinning madly. Minato opened the door and stepped inside. At the other side of the door, he found himself inside the elevator known as the Velvet Room once more. Igor and Elizabeth were waiting inside, like the previous visits.

"I've been waiting for you," Igor greeted him as Minato took a seat. "The time has come for you to wield your power. The tower that you are about to venture into… How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist? Regrettably, you are not yet capable of answering these questions. That is why you must be made aware of the nature of your power."

"Oh? So, are you going to tell me what this 'Wild Card' ability I have is?" Minato asked.

"Your power is unique. It's like the number zero: it's empty, but at the same time hold infinite possibilities," Igor told Minato.

"The number zero? What's that suppose to mean?" Minato asked.

"It means that you, my boy, are able to possess multiple Personas and summon them as needed," Igor explained.

"I get multiple Personas? What does that make me, a Persona Trainer? Or maybe a Tamer or Summoner?" Minato asked.

"If you want, you can refer to yourself to all those titles," Igor smirked.

"But I really get multiple Personas?" Minato wanted confirmation.

"That is correct," Igor answered. "Most Persona users have only one Persona; however, a lucky few, such as yourself, are able to use multiple Personas. Exactly how many you can have, I honestly don't know. Yet, with those Personas, you will be able to stand up against the trials to come. And when you have defeated your enemies, you will see the faces of possibility before you. There may be times when they are difficult to grasp, but do not fear; seize what you have earned."

"Huh? The faces of possibility? What's that?" Minato asked.

"You'll see," Igor smiled.

"So, if I'm allowed to have multiple Persona, how many can I have on me at once?" Minato was curious.

"As of right now, six; however, as you grow in strength and power, so will the amount of Personas you can hold, control, and earn," Igor smiled. "I feel that out time is growing short; your friends and allies outside are waiting for you."

"That's right! They're waiting for me," Minato realized.

"Then go, and embrace your destiny. When you have the time, please come again; I'll tell you then about my true role, the manner in which I can best assist you," said Igor.

"Okay then. Will there be another entrance to the Velvet Room besides Tartarus and my dreams?" Minato asked as he got up.

"There will be and you will be alerted when that entrance is ready. Until then, farewell," Igor waved Minato off.

"Please come again," Elizabeth bowed and Minato walked out the door.

* * *

Minato found himself back in Tartarus, in front of the Velvet Room's door. He turned around to see that Yukari, Junpei, and Hamuko were all standing there, looking confused. "What's up?" he waved at them.

"Hey, are you alright, Minato-kun?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah, what's up? You look like a zombie," Junpei added.

"I'm fine. I just entered this door I found," Minato replied.

"Door? What door?" Yukari asked. "There's no door here."

"Man, you loco or something?" Junpei joked.

"Aniki, there's no door there. You okay?" Hamuko asked with concern.

_'They can't see the door? Oh, great. Just what I need; more evidence that I need a first-class ticket to the loony bin,'_ Minato rubbed his forehead.

"You seem out of it. You sure you okay?" Yukari asked.

"I'm fine Yukari-chan, don't worry," Minato smiled. "I just happened to find the door that my key goes to."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Junpei was puzzled.

"Door? Key?" Hamuko was confused. "Wait…" A light bulb went off in her head. "Aniki, are you talking about that thing we discussed the other day?"

"I am," Minato nodded.

"Oh!" Yukari realized what was going on. "I get it now."

"What?" Junpei was completely lost.

"It's nothing important, Junpei," Minato assured him.

"Well, if you say so," Junpei replied. "But get your head in the game! You're supposed to be our leader."

"If you're done procrastinating, then can we move things along?" Mitsuru called out to them.

"I apologize, Mitsuru-sempai," Minato apologized. "Is everyone ready?"

"I'm ready, Minato-kun," Yukari hung her quiver on her back and gripped her bow.

"Let's go!" Junpei swung a katana Mitsuru gave him the air.

"Let's do this, aniki," Hamuko swung the naginata Yukari had given her over her shoulder.

"All right then," Minato took hold of his rapier from the Shadow attack. "Let's roll."

"Good luck, you guys; you'll need it," Akihiko waved them off.

_'Get ready, Shadows, Beasts of the Night, or whatever the hell you are, get ready. We're coming for you,'_ Minato smirked as he, Yukari, Hamuko, and Junpei ascended the stairs into Tartarus.

* * *

Well, that brings to an end to this chapter. Next chapter, the battles begin! I hope you enjoyed!

_**Green Midnight Dictionary:**_

**Un, deux, trois: **French for 'one, two, three'

**Wristband:** Special Dark Hour technology developed by the Kirijo Group for Persona-users. Think of these as the in-story equivalent of the various menus that you saw in Persona 3. These will be used quite often.


	8. Chapter 8: Thebel

Welcome to a new chapter of Green Midnight! If you didn't know, today is March 31st. This is the day that 'The Answer' takes place! Anyways, reviews!

ravenwingscorps: Why thank you. And, yes, there's fight scenes in this chapter.

DeadBrain: Thanks. I thought the wristbands were a rather brilliant idea myself. And I'm glad people are responding so positively to Minato and Hamuko's personailities.

mangafreak7793: Thank you. I have no idea which song that is; regardless, I don't take requests here on FanFiction. As for cameos, well, if there's going to be more SMT cameos, they're going to be either from other Persona games, Devil Survivor, or Devil Summoner; I don't know much about any of the other games. I might add in some Strange Journey, if I get the game.

SpecialAgentOrange: Well, I hope I can deliver with the action this chapter. As for Social Links, they will rank up and work just like in the game. And some trigger will start the links, usually by people opening up or if an act of trust has occurred or something similar to that. As for Personas, Minato will basically act the same. I don't anticipate any difference in how he acts as of now.

Oblivionkey99: Thanks. And yes, you can use that idea.

Echo the Ethereal Swordmaster: I've been waiting for you to review! I don't know why, but I anticipate your reviews the most! Anyways, hm… You may just get your wish at some point.

I noticed a lot of my female readers love the 'Cloud comment' Minato made. Dunno why. Is Cloud really that big of a Chick Magnet? Or is it because of the Yaoi possibilities with Zack and/or Sephiroth?

Now then, the moment you've been waiting for: ACTION! Be warned, though; Mitsuru does a LOT of talking. And I do mean a LOT. Of course, that is to be expected from the equivalent of the tutorial battles. Anyways, let's begin!

**In-Game Date:** April 20, 2009 (Dark Hour)

* * *

**_Chapter 8:_**_ Thebel_

"So, this is it, huh?" Junpei noted as the members of S.E.E.S. entered the second floor of Tartarus.

"Dang, this place is creepier and more twisted than I thought it would be," Hamuko noted.

"No wonder Mitsuru-sempai called this place a labyrinth," Minato whistled. "And doesn't this place kinda look like the inside of a funhouse?"

"It does, and it gives me goosebumps," Hamuko shivered.

"I just hope we don't get lost in here," Yukari frowned.

"Agreed," Hamuko nodded.

**"Can you all hear me?"** Mitsuru's voice echoed in their earpieces.

"Whoa! Is that you, sempai!?" Junpei exclaimed.

** "Oui, Iori. I'll be providing audio backup from here on out,"** Mitsuru informed them.

"Wait… Ya mean you can see inside here?" Junpei asked.

"How can she? Electronics, for the most part, don't work," Minato remarked.

**"It's my Persona's ability,"** said Mitsuru.

"Your Persona's ability? You mean it gives you special powers?" Hamuko asked.

**"It does. My Persona, Penthesilea, allows me to see places and things that my normal vision will not let me see. Also, it can allow me to see a few seconds into the future,"** Mitsuru explained.

"That's so cool!" Junpei cheered.

"So, in a nutshell, you're clairvoyant?" Minato asked.

**"That is correct,"** Mitsuru confirmed his guess.

"Does this mean that each of us will get a special ability as well?" Hamuko asked.

**"Most likely; Akihiko has a special ability as well, so it is safe to assume you four will get one as well. However, it will take time for your ability to develop and show itself,"** Mitsuru informed her.

"Awesome! We'll be like superheroes!" Junpei bounced like a child.

"Ugh… Stupei…" Yukari slapped her forehead.

"What is Akihiko-sempai's ability?" Minato asked.

**"That's not important right now. We've wasted enough time as it. Let's stay focused,"** Mitsuru reprimanded them.

"Sorry, sempai," Minato apologized.

**"It's okay,"** she assured him. **"Anyways, I'd like to join you, but the structure of Tartarus changes from day to day; that's why outside support is imperative."**

"It changes from day to day? So, this is a living maze?" Hamuko noted.

** "In a sense,"** said Mitsuru.

"Well, THAT makes me feel a whole lot better," Yukari replied sarcastically.

**"Now, based on your current position, you can expect to encounter enemies at any minute. They shouldn't be too tough, but proceed with caution,"** Mitsuru warned the group. **"Practice makes perfect."**

"Right!" Junpei replied.

"Sure thing, sempai," said Hamuko.

"Understood," Minato added.

"Got it," said Yukari. She then turned her head to the side and said to herself, "Why is she always like that?"

_'Yukari really seems jealous of Mitsuru. That could cause problems later,'_ Minato noted.

**"Let's begin,"** Mitsuru ordered. **"Keep in mind that these are real battles you'll be engaging in with real consequences. Now, see if you can eliminate all the Shadows wandering around on this floor. Arisato, you're in charge there, so you decide how all of you go about it."**

Minato stood there for a moment, going over how to explore the floor. _'How to do this… I know how Hamuko would fight and act like the back of my hand. Yukari, with her bow, would be a support fighter. Junpei's impulsiveness would probably make him a frontline fighter…'_ Minato went over the facts.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do," Minato got everyone's attention. "I'll be taking the lead. Junpei, you'll be following right behind me; when we run into Shadows, you and I will be the main attackers."

"Sweet!" Junpei pumped a fist.

"Yukari-chan, stay behind Junpei. You'll be our support fighter, assisting us with your bow. I trust that you won't fill us with holes, okay?" Minato smirked.

"You can count on me, Minato-kun," Yukari smirked back.

"Imoto, you're going to be our rear guard. Should we be attacked from behind, it'll be up to you to protect us," Minato informed his sister.

"Gotcha, aniki!" Hamuko saluted her brother.

"Good. Now, everyone, move out!" Minato gave the order.

* * *

The group spent the next couple of minutes wandering the halls of Tartarus, keeping their eyes peeled for Shadows. "Damn, this place is just so damn confusing," Junpei sighed.

"Keep focused, everyone. The moment you drop your guard is the moment you resign yourself to death," Minato warned everyone.

"Dude, don't take this too seriously," Junpei chastised the leader.

"I'd like to think that anything that involves me risking my life, and your lives as well, is serious business," Minato shot back.

Before Junpei could say anything else, Mitsuru spoke up. **"Watch out! I detect a Shadow in front of you!"** she warned them. **"Move in and attack before it gets you!" **Up ahead, Minato spotted a single Shadow similar to the six that had attacked Hamuko and Yukari on the room. It was facing away from them, not noticing the group looming in the distance.

_'How to handle this…'_ Minato attempted to formulate a plan. _'Ah! I know!'_

"Junpei, I want you to go in and deal with the Shadow. I want to get a feel for how you fight. Also, try to summon your Persona while you're at it," Minato told him.

"Gotcha!" Junpei gave a thumbs up. "Here I go!" Junpei charged at the shadow, katana in hand. The Shadow heard it coming and turned to counter his attack. It lunged forward, intending to kill Junpei in one swipe. However, Junpei quickly ducked under the lunge and rammed his katana right into the Shadow. Junpei then ripped the sword out of the Shadow and jumped back.

"Let's do this!" he shouted as he pulled out his Evoker.

Junpei put the Evoker to his head and pulled the trigger. The sound of glass shattering filled the halls of Tartarus as a blue and gold blur slashed through the Shadow, destroying it.

"Wow, not bad," Minato remarked.

"Junpei did better than I thought he would," Yukari added.

The blue and gold blur appeared in front of Junpei. Junpei's Persona was armored in blue and had gold wings attached to its arms and legs. It also wore a golden helmet, which also had wings.

_**"Thou art I and I am thou…"**_it spoke. _**"I am Hermes, messenger of the gods. Let us move as fast as the wind…"**_

"Wow! You're so cool!" Junpei held up his hand for a hi-five, which Hermes returned before dissipating into blue light.

_'Wait a moment… Hermes? Wasn't that the guy that whisked Eurydice back into the Underworld permanently after Orpheus got impulsive and looked back?'_ Minato recalled. _'Something tells me that might not be a good thing…'_

"Good job, Junpei-kun," Hamuko complimented him as Junpei rejoined the group.

"Thanks, Hamu-chan. I feel a little winded from summoning, but all in all, that was quite fun!" he grinned.

**"Not bad for you first summoning, Iori," **Mitsuru added her two cents. **"Takeba, if you would now summon your Persona as well, I can gather data on everyone."**

"Now?" Yukari asked.

"No Shadow is around at the moment; it might be a good idea to do so, just to get the first summoning out of the way," Minato added.

"All right," Yukari nodded as she put her Evoker to her forehead.

Yukari tensed up and froze, unable to pull the trigger.

"I… I can't do it," she stuttered.

"You can do it, Yukari-chan!" Minato encouraged her.

"Go for it!" Hamuko cheered her on.

"Come on, Yuka-tan. You a scaredy cat?" Junpei mocked her.

"Hell no!" Yukari shouted at Junpei and in one swift motion, pulled the trigger.

The sound of glass shattering echoed once more as Yukari's Persona came into existence. The giant skull of a bovine floated above Yukari, with a suede seat built right into the top of the skull. Sitting in that seat, chained to the skull, sat a girl, dark as the Shadows, in a pink dress with a long-haired version of Yukari's hairstyle.

_**"Thou art I and I am thou…"**_it whispered. _**"I am Io, the heifer priestess. Thou shalt receive my blessings and thy wounds will be healed…"**_

A dim light surrounded Junpei for a second before dissipating along with Yukari's Persona.

"Wow! I no longer feel winded! What happened?" Junpei asked.

**"Apparently, Takeba's Persona just cast Dia," **said Mitsuru. **"Dia is a spell capable of healing stamina and wounds."**

"Wow," Yukari gasped.

"Not bad, Yukari-chan!" Hamuko pat her on the back.

"We're counting on you, Yuka-tan," Junpei added.

"Good for you, Yukari-chan," Minato nodded. "Anyways, Mitsuru-sempai, I forgot to ask earlier, but would you please give a rundown about skills?"

**"I suppose now would be a good time as any,"** Mitsuru agreed. **"Personas have three types of skills: Physical, Magical, and Passive. Nearly every type of attack is associated with a particular property. Physical skills can be divided into three types: Strike, Slash, and Pierce. Weapons like swords inflict 'Slash' damage, while bows would inflict 'Pierce' damage. Physical skills that Personas use will drain your Hit Points, or 'HP', so be careful." **

"So, using our Persona's physical skills will lower our HP and weaken us? So, we should avoid using them?" Hamuko asked.

**"Not necessarily. Physical skills are very useful against the Shadows. Use them, but don't go overboard, or you will be left vulnerable," **Mitsuru warned them. **"Also, please be aware that HP is separate from your overall health. For example, you could be deathly ill and every bone in your body is broken, yet have a lot of HP. On the other hand, you could have little HP, yet you'd be otherwise perfectly healthy. They are extreme examples, I admit, but it gets the point across."**

"Gotcha, sempai," Hamuko nodded.

** "Now then, magical skills can be divided into many categories," **Mitsuru continued her explanation.** "They are: Fire, Ice, Electricity, Wind, Light, Dark, Healing, Support, and Almighty. These skills will rely on your SP to work, so be sure to keep an eye on it so you're not out when you need it," **she warned. **"Fire, Ice, Electricity, and Wind skills are represented by Agi, Bufu, Zio, and Garu, respectively. They are the skills you'll be relying on most for attacking. Light and Dark skills, represented by Hama and Mudo, are instant kill spells. They kill Shadows, but they only knock out humans, but you should still avoid them at all costs. Also, Hama and Mudo have a high rate of failure, so should any of you get those skills, do not rely on them too often."**

"So, Agi, Bufu, Zio, and Garu are good. And, while Hama and Mudo are useful, they are not reliable?" Minato summarized what Mitsuru just told them.

**"That is correct,"** said Mitsuru.

"Uggh… I came here to fight, not to get a lecture!" Junpei complained.

"Shut up, Stupei!" Yukari smacked him in the back of the head. "This is all important information and can mean the difference between life and death."

"She's right, Junpei-kun," Hamuko reprimanded him.

_'Yeesh, those two are scary when they team up. Although they're not quite as scary as Mitsuru-sempai," _Minato noted.

** "Healing skills, such as Dia, will restore HP, heal wounds, cure ailments, and even revive unconscious allies,"** Mitsuru continued, ignoring the squabble between Junpei and the girls. **"Support skills can have a variety of effects from temporarily increasing agility to decreasing enemies' defenses to confusing the enemy to draining you of your energy. Almighty skills are the most powerful of Magical skills, identified as Megido, able to bypass any inherit strengths the target has and inflict heavy damage; as they are the most powerful, they're also the most costly to use. Nothing is weak against Almighty attacks, nor are they resistant to them."**

"I want an Almighty skill!" Junpei proclaimed.

**"Iori, you just can't choose what skills you want. The skills you will gain will be based on your Persona. For example, a Persona may have superior strength, so its skills will most likely revolve around that. Or, say a Persona has high magic. It will posses skills that will work around that," **Mitsuru explained.

"Makes sense," Minato nodded. "If a Persona has horrible agility, it wouldn't make much sense for it to have skills revolving around speed."

**"You are a quick study, Arisato," **Mitsuru complimented him.

"Thanks for the compliment," Minato replied.

**"As for Passive skills, they cover the whole gauntlet. They can have a variety of effects from allowing you to recover HP and SP in regular intervals to blocking out certain attacks to increasing the effectiveness of certain attacks to even allow you to regain strength by absorbing certain attacks," **Mitsuru finished her explanation. **"Do you all understand?"**

"Hai," all four responded.

**"Excellent. Now, if you recall earlier, I explained that your wristbands can show your HP, SP, your level, your Persona's name, and your stats. The first screen shows the name of your Persona, level, HP, and SP. The second screen shows Strength, Magic, Endurance, Agility, and Luck. Now, there's a third screen as well. This one shows the skills your Persona currently possesses. As of now, your Persona can possess up to eight skills at a time; however, it may be possible for it to know more than eight. If you would all please go to the Skills screen, you will know which skills you currently have," **Mitsuru ordered them.

Minato looked to his wristband and pushed the button twice, sending the screen from the one stating his HP and MP to a new screen that had Orpheus' name and a couple of skills on it.

"Bash and Agi?" Minato read aloud.

"I got Bash and Bufu," said Hamuko.

"I just have Cleave," Junpei read off his wristband.

"All I got is Dia," read Yukari.

**"You have all only just started out, so you won't have that many skills. As you grow stronger, you'll gain new skills to fill out the list, as well as better skills to replace the ones you have now. As for the skills you have now, Bash is a Strike skill, Agi is Fire magic, Bufu is Ice magic, Cleave is a Slash skill, and Dia is Healing magic,"** Mitsuru explained. **"To have a Persona use a skill, summon it and call out the skill you wish to use or order the command mentally. On the other hand, if you need it to do something like rescue someone or hold something, order it to do so vocally or mentally. A Persona usually dissipates after completing its attack or task, but you can will it to be out longer; however, this will cause your SP to be constantly drained until you run out."**

"The more SP we sacrifice, the more our Personas can do. Makes sense," Minato nodded.

"So, between our weapons and skills, we have Slash attacks, Strike attacks, Pierce attacks, Fire magic, Ice magic, and Healing magic?" Hamuko deduced.

"It seems so," Minato nodded.

**"Once Akihiko is able to join you, he'll be adding Electricity magic to your arsenal, allowing for greater strategy. And should we gain more members for S.E.E.S., our repertoire and strategies will grow,"** Mitsuru finished up.

_'They're quite informed. I'm assuming they've done a ton of research on it. But how?'_ Minato thought things through. _'Wait… maybe the Shadows?'_ "Sempai, if we have these skills, is it same to assume that the Shadows have them as well?" Minato asked.

**"It is. Just as you possess skills, so will the Shadows. What you learn, they can learn as well,"** she said. **"So, be careful. Now, please proceed and continue to eliminate the Shadows on this floor."**

"All right everyone, lesson's over; let's get moving!" Minato ordered.

* * *

The group proceeded, continuing to explore the floor. After a bit of exploring, they came across a set of stairs. "A set of stairs?" Hamuko asked. "What are they for? Going up?"

**"They are. A staircase is the only way to proceed to the next floor. I cannot allow you to go any higher today, but please remember that for next time,"** Mitsuru informed them. **"Please proceed and be cautious; I sense two Shadows nearby."**

"Get ready everyone," Minato ordered as they walked down the creepy hallway. Not too far ahead of them, two more Shadows lurked in waiting. Thanks to the shadows the halls of Tartarus provided, the Shadows were unable to see the group coming.

"What should we do?" Yukari asked.

**"Now is a good time for me to inform you what I can do to help," **said Mitsuru. "**With my power, I can analyze an enemy to determine its strengths and weaknesses. You then use your skills to exploit those weaknesses. However, be careful, for the Shadows can do the same."**

"So, what are the weaknesses of these two?" Junpei asked.

**"One second," **Mitsuru went silent. **"Ah. These two are vulnerable to fire. Arisato, have your Persona use Agi on them to gain an advantage."**

"Gotcha. I'll use Agi to catch them off guard, and then Junpei, Hamuko, and I will charge in. Yukari-chan, you support us from behind, okay?" Minato gave out his orders.

"Got it," they all replied.

"Here we go then," Minato pulled out his Evoker. "Agi!" Orpheus appeared and strummed his lyre, causing a blast of fire to shoot out. The fire struck the two shadows, stunning them.

"Here's our chance! Let's get 'em!" Junpei shouted.

Minato, Hamuko, and Junpei charged the Shadows, who were still reeling from the attack. Minato lunged forward with his rapier, striking one Shadow in its eye. Yukari followed up by shooting an arrow at the Shadow, striking it in its other eye. Minato then summoned Orpheus again, which used its lyre to bash the Shadow into nothing.

While they were dealing with one Shadow, Hamuko and Junpei both swiped at the other Shadow at the same time with their weapons, cleaving it into three pieces.

**"Good job, everyone!"** Mitsuru congratulated them.

"That was a piece of cake!" Junpei pumped his fist into the air.

"They didn't stand a chance," Hamuko smirked.

"All, right. Let's keep moving," Minato ordered.

* * *

As the group continued to explore the halls, Minato was thinking. _'Shadows have weakness… Wouldn't that mean we do too?' _he realized. "Sempai, what exactly are out strengths and weaknesses?" Minato asked.

**"I'm glad you asked. Your strengths and weaknesses are listed on the same screen as your skills,"** Mitsuru explained. **"However, I've already analyzed you and know them. Arisato, you're weak to Zio and Mudo skills; because you are weak to Mudo skills, they will have a more likely chance to knock you out. Takeba, you are resistant to Garu skills and weak against Zio skills. Iori, you are resistant to Agi skills and weak to Garu skills. Arisato-kohai, you are weak to Agi skills and strong against Hama skills; just as Arisato is more likely to get knocked out by Mudo skills, you are less likely to get knocked out by Hama skills."**

"Let me guess: These strengths and weaknesses will reflect what skills we may learn as well?" Hamuko asked.

**"Just as sharp as your brother, I see, but, yes, you are correct," **Mitsuru confirmed. **"Takeba is likely to learn Garu skills and Iori is likely to learn Agi skills."**

"Wait… I'm weak to Garu skills… And Yuka-tan will probably learn Garu skills…" Junpei was mulling things over. "Which means…. OH CRAP!" the look of horror on his face gave a good idea of what he just realized.

_'Heh. Yukari-chan is Junpei's weakness. How poetic,'_ Minato chuckled.

"Yeah! So keep in line, Stupei, or I'll blow you away!" Yukari threatened.

"Yes, ma'am!" Junpei gave a soldier's salute, causing the twins to chuckle.

"Yukari-chan, don't beat up Junpei as long as we're in Tartarus; we need every man we can get," Minato said.

"Okay…" Yukari sighed.

"But once we leave, feel free to," Hamuko added.

"Hey!" Junpei shouted.

The group continued to explore as the came across an intersection.

"Oh, great. Now which way do we go?" Yukari asked.

"Mitsuru-sempai, any ideas?" Hamuko asked.

** "Head right. There seems to be Shadows just around that corner,"** Mitsuru suggested. **"It's a group of three Shadows this time. Remember to exploit the enemy's weakness; an enemy will lose its balance and falter if you exploit its weakness or deal a crushing blow to it. This will grant you the opportunity to perform more attacks; in other words, you'll get to do 'ONE MORE' thing. You can keep attacking that same enemy as it attempts to recover, or if you prefer, attack a different target. And should you succeed in knocking another enemy off balance, you can act again; which means that, as long as you remain on the offensive and keep exploiting weaknesses, you can keep it up and prevent the Shadows from attacking."**

"So, as long as we keep knocking them down, we can keep wailing on them?" Junpei asked.

**"Correct, Iori. However, remember this: if an enemy is off balance and you continue to exploit its weakness, you will cause it to be dizzy, leaving it completely unable to attack. This can be useful if another ally is in danger or if you need to make a hasty retreat,"** Mitsuru explained. **"However, remember that the enemy can do the same to you, so guard against you weaknesses whenever necessary to prevent being knocked off balance. Remember, if you need to know an enemy's attributes, do not hesitate to ask me for an analysis; I'll be sure to share the results with others."**

"Good to know, sempai," replied Minato. "And what are the weaknesses of the enemies ahead?"

**"They are the same type of Shadow you just fought. So, they have the same weaknesses as well,"** Mitsuru informed him.

"Got it. Here's what we're gonna do," Minato turned to his team. "Like last time, Hamuko, Junpei, and I will charge in. Hamuko and Junpei will keep the Shadows busy as I exploit their weaknesses. Yukari-chan, you'll be supporting them." Everyone nodded and readied themselves for battle.

"On the count of three, we go for it," Minato ordered. "One… Two… Three!" The group charged around the corner, right into three Shadows, ready to strike.

"Agi!"

"Cleave!"

Orpheus and Hermes faded into existence as Hamuko raced towards the Shadows.

"Take this!" She shouted, swiping at one with her naginata. Orpheus strummed his lyre, shooting flames at another Shadow, sending it reeling. Hermes slashed through its target, wounding it. Hamuko spun her weapon, moving to strike again, but the Shadow caught the blade, halting her attack. It tugged the naginata and its owner closer, within the range of its claws, and swiped at the girl's unprotected torso. The impact sent her rolling across the field, naginata flying from her hands.

"Hamuko!" Minato shouted as he commanded Orpheus to fire more flames at the attacking Shadow.

Yukari fired two arrows at the Shadow, dealing the finishing blow. Junpei sliced through the first Shadow with his katana, killing it as well, leaving just one shadow to be dealt with.

**"One left! Hurry and finish it off!"** Mitsuru ordered them.

"Agi!" Minato shot even more flames at the last Shadow, knocking it down.

"We have the advantage!" Hamuko shouted as she rearmed herself. "Let's push it!"

Minato, Junpei, and Hamuko charged at the last Shadow, swiping at it with all their weapons, killing it in an instant.

**"Good job everyone,"** Minato congratulated them.

Out of nowhere, cards appeared and began floating in front of Minato.

_'What the hell!? What are these things?'_ he wondered as he took a closer look at theme. One card had the picture of a fairy on it; the other had a picture of a blue woman. _'Wait a moment… Are these... Personas?' _he wondered. _'Wait! What was it that Long Nose-san said?'_

_**'And when you have defeated your enemies, you will see the faces of possibility before you. There may be times when they are difficult to grasp, but do not fear; seize what you have earned,'**_ Minato recalled Igor's words.

_'Oh, so this is how I earn new Personas. Nice. Now which one do I want?'_ Minato mulled it over. _'I got it.' _Minato reached for the card with the blue woman and seized it. The card shattered and dissipated into blue light.

_**'Thou hath gained the power of the Persona Apsaras,'**_ the creepy voice echoed in Minato's mind once more.

_'Sweet. Now I have two Personas. I wonder if I can summon it as well,'_ he thought.

"Okay, everyone, let's get going!" Yukari shouted.

**"Hold on,"** Mitsuru got their attention. **"I detect one more group of Shadows not that far away from you guys. How are you guys feeling?"**

"I feel winded from the fighting, but I'm okay overall," Minato said.

"I can still fight," Junpei proclaimed.

"I'm okay," Yukari informed her.

"I think that one attack did something to my ribs," Hamuko said as she held her side.

**"I see. If any of you happen to be in bad shape, like Arisato-kohai, then use healing items whenever you have the chance,"** Mitsuru explained.

"Can the stuff you gave me really help with something like Hamuko's ribs?" said Minato as he looked at the bag Mitsuru gave him.

**"It can, or anyone with Dia skills, like Takeba, can heal you. Make sure you all check you status whenever a break in the action occurs and heal whenever possible," **she advised them.

Minato took a look at his wristband. His HP and MP had gone down, but were nowhere near in danger of running out. Also, he noticed that his maximum HP and MP had gone up.

_'Looks like all this fighting with my Persona has made me stronger,'_ he observed. _'I could probably go for some healing myself.'_

"Yukari-chan, can you use Dia on everyone, please?" Minato asked.

"Okay," Yukari nodded as grabbed her Evoker. "I can do this!"

**BANG!**

Io appeared and granted her blessing upon everyone, healing them with Dia.

"Wow! I feel better! My ribs don't hurt anymore!" Hamuko cheered.

"Good job, Yukari-chan," Minato smiled as he saw that his HP was back to its maximum.

"Well, I'm glad to be of help. It's about the only thing I can do; I can't rush in like Junpei, and my Persona doesn't have any attacks like Minato-kun," Yukari sighed.

"Everyone has their own role," Hamuko replied. "Yours is to make sure we live."

"She's right," Minato agreed.

"Well, if you say so," Yukari reluctantly agreed.

"Anyways, time for a new plan of attack," Minato changed the subject. "Sempai, how many Shadows are in this group?"

**"I detect four Shadows. Like the previous groups, they are vulnerable to Agi skills," **Mitsuru informed them.

"Got it," said Minato. "Okay, here's the new plan. This time, we'll all be charging in at the same time, Yukari-chan included. You guys will distract them while I exploit their weaknesses. And Hamuko, this time I want you to use your Persona."

"I… I'l try," Hamuko solemnly nodded.

**"This would a good time to inform you about the 'All-Out Attack.' Would you like to know about it?" **Mitsuru asked.

"All-Out Attack? What's that?" Minato asked.

**"There's a better way to take out the Shadows than attacking them individually. When enemies are thrown off balance or become dizzy, they become vulnerable. An All-Out Attack will allow your entire team to attack all the Shadows simultaneously when they're vulnerable. Your enemies will be unable to defend against it; it's a very reliable method of attack. Whether or not you want to perform an All-Out Attack is up to you, Arisato; usually, when an opportunity presents itself, either you or a member of the team will notice and alert everyone. But remember, you cannot perform it when you're alone. So if you want to have it in your arsenal, make sure your team comprises at least two members and that they're able to fight," **Mitsuru explained the maneuver.

"That sounds very useful," said Minato.

**"And with that, I've told you all the stuff you're going to need for fighting the Shadows. However, I have a couple of tips to tell you. First off, Shadows become stronger as you progress within Tartarus. If you don't think you can win, retreat. Yet, there may be times when you're unable to flee. In which case, figure out how to beat the enemy,"** Mitsuru warned them.

"Retreat? A man doesn't retreat!" Junpei proclaimed.

"He does if he wants to live, especially if there's a girl involved and you're trying to rescue her," Minato replied.

"Well, uh… When you put it that way... I guess retreating is manly!" Junpei changed his mind.

**"Also, sometimes in Tartarus, you'll find items that the Shadow have brought from the city. These items can range from medicine to items that can exploit the Shadow's weaknesses to items that you can use as weapons to yen. If you find them, collect them, for we may have use for them,"** Mitsuru advised them.

_'The Shadows collect items and bring them back here? What is this, a bird's nest? And since when did Shadows collect treasure? Does that make us treasure hunters?'_ Minato asked himself.

"Sweet! We get to score some loot!" Junpei cheered.

"Ugh… Do you only have the mental capability to cheer, moan, groan, avoid schoolwork, complain, eat, and sleep, Stupei?" Yukari rubbed her forehead in anguish.

**"Anyways, that's enough explaining. Finish off the group of Shadows that lie ahead," **Mitsuru ordered them.

"Sure thing, Mitsuru-sempai," Minato acknowledged. "Let's do this."

* * *

The Shadows were just lurking there in the middle of the hall, completely oblivious to what's to come as S.E.E.S. charged them, weapons drawn. "Everyone go!" Minato shouted.

"Orpheus!"

"Hermes!"

Minato and Junpei's Personas flew at the Shadows, knocking two of them back. Their summoners then rushed in, hoping to take advantage of the chaos. At the back, Hamuko hung back with Yukari, Evoker in hand.

"You can do this, Hamuko-chan," Yukari assured her as she fired an arrow at a Shadow. "Just do it like last time."

"A-All right," Hamuko sighed as she looked on at the battle.

Orpheus was flinging flames all over the place in an attempt to make the Shadows dizzy while Hermes was zipping around, slashing at the Shadows. At the same time, Minato and Junpei had teamed up to take on a Shadow. They lunged at their Shadow with their swords, but the Shadow caught both swords.

"Hey! Let go!" Junpei shouted as he tried to rip his sword free.

"We could use some help here!" Minato shouted as Orpheus and Hermes were forcibly dismissed with a swipe of the other Shadows' claws.

A Shadow then lunged at Minato, knocking him back, claws digging into his chest.

"Aniki!" Hamuko shouted as her Evoker went to her head.

**BANG!**

Eurydice quickly appeared above Hamuko and flew over towards the Shadow that was troubling the guys, lyre unhitched from its back.

"Look out!" Yukari shouted as Eurydice closed in.

Minato grabbed Junpei and yanked him out of the way just as Eurydice's lyre came crashing down on the Shadow, squashing it and covering the boys in Shadow goo.

"Good job, Hamuko-chan!" Yukari cheered as she sent an arrow flying at the remaining Shadows.

**"Three to go!"** Mitsuru warned them.

Minato then reengaged the Shadows, ready to end this.

_'Time to see if I can make good with that new Persona,'_ though Minato.

"Apsaras!" Minato pulled the trigger on his Evoker.

The blue woman from the card Minato seized earlier floated above its summoner, its steely gaze staring down the Shadows.

_**"With my power and the power of Orpheus, thou hath gained a new power. Thou hath the power of Cadenza; use it well,"**_ Asparas spoke.

**"What!? Another Persona!? How is that possible!?"** Mitsuru exclaimed.

While Mitsuru was in shock, Asparas waved her arms, causing Minato, Hamuko, Junpei, and Yukari to be coated in a green light.

_'Wow! I feel a lot better now!'_ Minato realized as the wound on his chest healed up. He then saw a Shadow dashing straight for Yukari.

"No!" Minato shouted as he ran to intercept the Shadow, skewering it with his rapier.

"How in the…" Minato gasped. _'I'm NEVER this fast. What happened?'_

"Bufu!" Hamuko shouted as Eurydice struck the wounded Shadow with an ice spell, destroying it.

"Keep going!" Yukari shouted.

Minato turned to see Hermes slash another Shadow in half, leaving just one left. "Agi!" Minato cast his spell, consuming the last Shadow in flames and knocking it down.

"Here's our chance for an All-Out Attack!" Yukari yelled out.

"Everyone, take it down!" Minato ordered.

"Lemme at 'im!" Yukari cried out as she and the others charged at the lone Shadow. Yukari reached the Shadow first and smacked it hard with her bow, knocking it back. Junpei then followed up by managing to slash off one of its arms. The Arisato twins then ran in and slashed at the Shadow with their blades, cleaving it into tiny pieces.

"Good job, everyone!" Minato congratulated the group as he flicked the Shadow goop off his sword.

**"Arisato, how were you able to summon another Persona?"** Mitsuru asked. **"Persona-users only possess one Persona."**

"It just came to me," Minato replied.

**"And what was that spell you used, Cadenza? It was a fusion of Mediarama, a very potent healing spell, and Masukukaja, a spell that that temporarily boost the group's speed. No such spell exists,"** Mitsuru interrogated the blue-haired one.

"Well, I guess it's a special spell I can use because I can use two Personas," Minato scratched the back of his head while attempting to BS an answer.

**"Well, whatever the reason, the fact remains that you can use more than one Persona. This power of yours will be a great boon to S.E.E.S., especially if you can use more than two,"** said Mitsuru.

"So, Sempai, there any more Shadows to take down?" Junpei asked.

**"One second…"** Mitsuru focused on the area. **"…That's odd… Usually, there's more Shadows on the prowl, but the floor is completely devoid of them now…"**

"Why is that? Are the Shadows testing us?" Hamuko asked.

**"Possibly…"** Mitsuru acknowledged. **"Regardless, you gained some experience in battle. Let's pull back and return the dorm. There should be an Access Point somewhere on the floor; it'll look similar to the orange and green device that was on the ground floor. You can use it to return to the entrance."**

"Wait, 'Access Point'? As in Warp Point? As in teleportation? You can really do that?" Minato asked.

"Correct. The Access Point will warp you back here. However, be careful, for its one-way only," she advised them. "Since there aren't any enemies to worry about, why don't you split up and search the floor? Just tell the other party members what you'd like them to do."

"Gotcha, Mitsuru-sempai," Minato acknowledged the orders. "Let's split up, gang. Hamuko, I want you go with Junpei. Yukari-chan, you're with me."

"Aw… How come I don't get to go with you, aniki?" Hamuko pouted.

"Because Yukari-chan would just be all up in Junpei's business and there'd be too much arguing if they were together. And if I paired you with Yukari-chan, I honestly don't know how well you two would fare on your own. This, I think, is the best solution," Minato explained.

"…All right, aniki, whatever you say," Hamuko sighed.

"Now that we got the teams, here are your orders: Stick with your partner at all times. If you find something, collect it. If you should stumble upon the Access Point, alert Mitsuru-sempai immediately so that we can get outta here. Should you come across Shadows, do NOT engage them until your reunite with the others unless absolutely necessary," Minato spelled out for them. "Now let's go."

* * *

After everyone received a Dia session from Yukari, the two pairs went their separate ways. Once they had split off from the group, Minato and Yukari began searching the floor for a way out. "How can all this be on one floor?" Yukari groaned.

"I honestly don't know," Minato replied. "I don't know anything about this place."

"Well, at least we can defend ourselves," Yukari sighed. "And you can even summon multiple Personas! How can you do that?"

"Well, according to Igor, it's my power of the Wild Card that lets me have more than one Persona," Minato mused. "And, apparently, it can let me use unique spells, such as Cadenza."

"Wow, that's incredible," Yukari admitted. "So much better than what I can do. You can just run right up to the Shadows and fight them, fling fire at them, bash them, and use a crazy spell that heals and increases agility." She then looked away in shame. "All I can do is fling arrows and heal, but I can't even do that as well as you can, Minato-kun."

"Yukari-chan, everyone has a role to play in this group. While I may be able to heal, I'm more tuned for fighting. Healing is your job. Besides, you will grow stronger and better over time," Minato assured her. "And you're already stronger now than you were when we came here. Look." Minato took her wristband and showed her the screen on it. "See? When we first came here, your screen was blank. Now, you're at level four. Not bad, right?" He then pushed the button to switch the screen. "And look, you have a pretty decent Magic rating; I don't have such a rating." He pushed the button once more. "And see? You've also learned a new move: Charmdi."

"Charmdi? What's that?" Yukari asked.

"Sempai, what is Charmdi?" Minato asked aloud. "Yukari-chan now has that spell in her arsenal."

**"Charmdi is a spell that allows you to cure the Charm ailment. When Charmed, you have no control over your actions and become a puppet for the Shadows until the effect wears off, a Dis-Charm gem is used, or Charmdi is cast,"** Mitsuru explained.

"You see, Yukari-chan? Your job is to make sure everyone is safe and healthy. Personally, I think that's possibly the most important job on the team, even more than mine or Mitsuru-semapi's," Minato followed up. "So, have some confidence in yourself, Yukari-chan. Without you, Yukari-chan, we won't be able to do as much."

"You really think that?" Yukari asked.

"I do," Minato nodded.

"All right then," Yukari gratefully sighed. "If you have faith in me, then I should have faith in myself. Thanks."

"You're welcome, Yukari-chan," Minato smiled at his partner.

"I still wish I could do more," said Yukari. "Even Junpei is more useful than I am in battle."

_'One step forward, two steps back. I should really do something to boost this girl's confidence,'_ Minato thought to himself. "If you really feel that way, then I'll help you."

"Really? You're not yanking my chain, are you?" Yukari glared at her partner.

"If I am, may I be struck down by lightning right now," Minato proclaimed to the heavens.

"D-Don't joke about things like that!" Yukari punched Minato in the arm.

"Ow! Sorry!" Minato rubbed the spot where Yukari punched him. _'Shoot! That girl can punch! I wonder, could she use that to her advantage?' _"Seriously, though, I mean it; I'll help you, if you want me to."

"I… Okay. Thanks," Yukari accepted Minato's offer. "You don't have to, yet you do so anyways. Why?"

"Always do what you can to help those around you, regardless of the reward; the true reward is the smile on someone's face once you've reached out to them. That's what Father used to tell me," Minato sadly smiled. "And I've always lived by that."

"I see… Well, in that case, I shouldn't disappoint, right?" Yukari smiled.

"And there's my reward right there," Minato chuckled.

**SMASH!**

_**'Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Lovers Arcana…'**_ the words echoed inside Minato's head.

"Minato-kun, you okay?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But I think I just improved my Social Link with you," Minato replied.

"Oh, I see…" Yukari flatly replied. "Minato-kun, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What is it?" Minato asked.

"These… Social Links… You said that you needed to do them to help increase you Wild Card powers, right?" Yukari recalled.

"Well, that's what Igor told me, yes," Minato answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Well… because you need to make bonds with people in order to increase your power, does that mean… you're going to befriend people only for the power?" Yukari asked, a deep frown on her face.

"What," Minato flatly spat out, caught off guard. _'Shoot! I didn't realize that! Would I do something so low as to befriend people for that sole reason?'_

"Well?" Yukari glared at Minato.

"To be honest… I really hope I don't," Minato honestly replied. "I would prefer to make friends for the right reasons. I would rather have five friends that I made for the right reasons, like you and Hamuko, at the cost of my power than have the full potential of the Wild Card at the cost of manipulating many people. It's not who I am," Minato gagged, the thought of manipulating people leaving a bad taste in his mouth. "Besides, Hamuko would have my head if I ever did something so cruel."

Yukari spent a full minute staring into Minato's eyes, as if she were looking right into his soul. The tension was so thick, you could slick through it with Junpei's katana. After an eternity of analysis, Yukari broke eye contact and slowly smiled.

"You have faith in me, so I'll put my faith in you and believe that you'll go about that the right way," Yukari gave her answer. "But I'll be keeping an eye on you; if I feel you're abusing any friendship for the power, I'll make sure you pay!" Yukari jabbed a finger into Minato's chest to get the point across.

"Ow!" Minato rubbed the spot Yukari poked. "I get it! I'll be a good boy!" _'Damn, that woman is strong! And scary!'_

"Good," Yukari laughed at Minato's expense.

**"Arisato! Takeba! Iori and Arisato-kohai have found the Access Point. Please meet up with them immediately,"** Mitsuru ordered.

"Well, let's get the heck outta here," Minato gestured in one direction, offering Yukari the lead. "Ladies first."

"Well, aren't you the gentleman?" Yukari mockingly teased.

* * *

After meeting up with the other, Minato and company took the Access Point back to the first floor, where Mitsuru and Akihiko were waiting for them. As Minato stepped out of the transporter, a wave of exhaustion hit him. _'DAMN! I feel so tired all of a sudden. Did the fatigue from the four battles just catch up with me?'_ Minato thought.

"Welcome back. So, how was it?" Mitsuru greeted them.

"It went well, but I suddenly feel exhausted," Minato gasped. "I've fought before in the Dark Hour, but I've never felt this drained."

"It must've hit you all at once. And this is the first time you've truly used your Persona abilities. You'll get used to it over time," Mitsuru explained. "Regardless, if you've gained some confidence, that's the best thing all of you could have achieved."

"Yeah… I think I can do this," Hamuko eyed her Evoker. "I think I can keep up, but crap, I wanna go to bed."

"We definitely kicked some ass! But damn, I'm beat…" Junpei wiped his forehead with his hat.

"That's because you were bouncing around like a little kid," Yukari mocked him.

"Yeah, well, you look pretty tired yourself, Yuka-tan," Junpei shot back.

"Well, I'm still trying to catch my breath actually," Yukari put a hand to her chest.

"That's the effect of the Dark Hour; you'll become fatigued more easily. Don't worry though, for you will adapt," Mitsuru assured them. "But, I'm surprised… You all did much better than I expected." She then turned to Akihiko, an amused expression on her face. "At this rate, they'll catch up to you in no time, Akihiko."

"Heh, we'll see about that," Akihiko replied, to which everyone chuckled.

** SMASH!**

_**'Thou shalt have our blessings when thou choosest to make a Persona of the Fool Arcana…'**_ Minato was alerted to a Social Link growing.

"Oh, sempai!" Hamuko suddenly called out. "I have a quick question."

"What is it, Arisato-kohai?" Mitsuru asked.

"You said that Dia can heal wounds and restore HP, right?" Hamuko asked.

"That is correct," Mitsuru replied.

"Do either you or Akihiko-sempai have Dia?" Hamuko asked another question.

_ 'Where is she going with this?'_ Minato asked himself.

"Actually, both Akihiko and I do have Dia," Mitsuru responded. "Is there a reason you're asking?"

"There is. If both of you have Dia, then why haven't you used it to completely heal Akihiko-sempai's injuries, or at least speed up the healing process, or have you?" Hamuko questioned the sempai.

_'Whoa. I didn't catch that. Good job, imoto. Why is that?'_ Minato wondered.

Mitsuru and Akihiko just stood there for a moment in silence, caught of guard by Hamuko's question. Then, at the same time, both sempai smacked their foreheads.

"How on earth did I forget about that?" Akihiko groaned.

"It's not like me to let such an important detail slip past," Mitsuru sighed.

"Sempai?" Hamuko called out.

"I had completely forgotten about that," Mitsuru admitted. "Between the attack on the dorm, Student Council elections, getting Evokers ready for the two of you, and my other duties, I had forgotten I could heal Akihiko."

"I have no excuses," Akihiko confessed. "I just flat out forgot."

_'And these are our sempai? And with the Chairman added into the mix, does that make me the only sane leader of the group?'_ Minato groaned.

"So, how 'bout you heal him now?" Junpei suggested.

"Dia is less effective on old wounds versus new wounds. Fresh wounds can be completely healed in an instant, but old wounds will take multiple sessions to heal, due to the fact that Dia would be competing against the natural healing process, but it would still be faster than the body healing by itself," Mitsuru explained. She then turned to Akihiko. "So, Akihiko, from now on, every night until you're healed, I'll be giving you healing sessions. Takeba, I want you to assist me in this whenever you can; it will be an opportunity to teach you how to be more effective at healing."

"All right," Yukari complied.

"Lucky sempai, he gets two lovely ladies to himself," Junpei chuckled.

"Yay for me," Akihiko sighed, seemingly not excited about it.

_'What's got him all depressed? If I had a chance like that, I'd leap for it,'_ Minato chastised his sempai.

"Anyways, we should get going soon. The Dark Hour will be ending soon," Mitsuru ordered them.

With that, the six teenagers left the dark halls of Tartarus, none of them noticing the long figure hiding in the shadows of the stairs.

"They're quite the bunch. I wonder how they'll stack up against the challenges of the Tower of Demise…" the figure whispered as it vanished into nothing.

* * *

And thus, the chapter comes to a close! I hope you guys enjoyed my latest chapter. No Green Midnight Dictionary this chapter; everything was explained well in this chapter, I think.


	9. Chapter 9: Links

Welcome to a new chapter of Green Midnight! I hope you all have been enjoying what's been going on so far. Now that we've gotten all that tutorial stuff out of the way, it's time to get the ball rolling. But first, reviews!

Patcheresu: I know deviation is loved. I'll say that, starting in June in-story, I'll really gonna throw you guys for a loop. And… That was random…

Echo the Ethereal Swordmaster: Thank you. And here's your chapter.

mangafreak7793: That's the style I'm aiming for. I don't do so well with first-person, like SamJaz. My writing tends to be like a novel. Oh, I know bits and pieces about then entire SMT franchise. That, and I got the MegamiTensei wiki. I assume you mean Akihiko, right? And, as Minato would say: Am I the only sane one here?

Oblivionkey99: Ah, I see you caught that appearance at the end. You'll be meeting that person properly next chapter. I hope you all will like the character; its an OC I specifically made for this story. I'm glad you liked what I've done and I've got a lot of plans for the Full Moon events.

ravenwingcorps: Thanks. And, I agree, those were my favorite parts as well. I excel more at storytelling then actiontelling, but apparently it's adequate enough that you guys like it.

Hareru1995: Thanks. And I found that funny as well.

Yamato Shinji: You're not the only one. When planning out all the events in my head, I hear their voices as well, typos, redos, and all. Regardless, I'm glad you like.

NightmareSyndrom: Ah, I see someone caught that. I was hoping someone would. I did that on purpose. Mitsuru has purposely not brought up the subject yet because they were on a mission (exploring Tartarus) and didn't want to do something that would interfere with it. Right now, she's trying to figure out exactly how to confront Minato about who Igor is and the other tidbits Minato and Yukari dropped in their conversation. I've already got that scene planned and written. You'll see that in the near future.

And now, time for the chapter. Enjoy.

**In-Game Date:** April 21, 2009

* * *

**Chapter 9:** _**Links**_

After a long night at Tartarus, everyone returned to the dorm and crashed. The next morning, Minato and Hamuko, still tired from the battles in Tartarus, arrived at school. As they approached the door, another student approached them. He had light brown hair and had a goofy smile and disposition, not unlike Junpei.

"Hey there! You're the Arisato twins, aren't you?" the young man asked.

"We are. I'm Hamuko and that's Minato," Hamuko introduced herself and her brother.

"And you are?" Minato asked.

"Man, I knew it," the boy smirked. "I heard from Junpei that you're pretty close with Yukari-san. What's up with that?"

_'Oh, boy… Is Junpei starting rumors about Yukari-chan and me? I shall pray for him at his funeral after Yukari kills him in a brutally painful way,'_ Minato thought. "Well, we are dorm-mates and friends."

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter; I'm looking for someone with a little more experience anyway," the boy remarked.

"Experience? Please. The most experience my aniki has is with a pillow," Hamuko scoffed.

"Hey!" Minato glared at his sister as the boy laughed.

"And your sister is quite funny as well. By the way, I'm Tomochika Kenji," the boy held his hand out.

"Nice to meet you," Minato shook his hand as the bell rang.

"Oh, crap! There's a morning assembly, so we should hurry up!" Kenji informed them before running inside.

_'Decent enough guy. Might make a good friend,'_ Minato noted as he went inside with Hamuko.

* * *

Later, at the assembly, Minato, Hamuko, Junpei, and Yukari were all sitting with each other, watching the assembly. A student was giving a speech, which Minato was drowning out with his MP3 player. _'I'll lift my face and run to the sunlight…' _Minato mentally sang along to the song.

"Hey!" Hamuko jabbed Minato in the ribs.

"Ow! What was that for!?" Minato hissed.

"Mitsuru-sempai's on stage; pay attention!" Hamuko warned him. Minato switched off his music and focus on the speech.

"As I begin my term as Student Council President, I'd like to share with you my vision for this coming year," she began her speech. "It is my firm belief that each of us must accept the responsibility of bettering our school. However, change cannot occur without sustained effort and an unprecedented level of commitment. That is why we must restructure our daily lives to accommodate this lofty goal. I'd like each of you to dig deeply into your well of motivation, and re-evaluate your convictions... To imagine a bold new future without losing sight of the realities around you. That is the key. I am certain that many of you have your own visions of the future... For us to reap the full benefits of our education, your participation, ideas, and enthusiasm are essential. Thank you."

A large portion of the students stood up and gave a round of applause. _'Not bad, sempai,'_ Minato smirked as he clapped as well.

"Dang… That was freaking amazing!" Junpei praised Mitsuru's speech. "So… do you have any idea what she just said?"

Minato, Hamuko, and Yukari all smacked their foreheads at the same time. _'Just what is this guy, the poster child for an idiot hero?'_

"I was able to follow along, Junpei-kun," Hamuko answered. "She was talking about how we all need to work together to achieve our goals."

"Oh…" Junpei realized. "So, we should team up to achieve the impossible goals, like consuming the super-large Hagakure Bowl?" The other smacked their foreheads again.

"Stupei…" Yukari sighed.

_'Are you serious? Please tell me he's faking that level of stupidity,' _Minato groaned.

* * *

After school had ended, the Arisato twins were sitting outside the school admiring the sights. "Man, this place is pretty, isn't it?" Hamuko asked.

"It definitely is beautiful," Minato agreed. Just then the doors opened up, letting out a huge scream.

"EEEEEEE!" the scream went, causing the twins to cover their ears.

"My god, what is that!?" Hamuko shouted.

"Only one thing can create such a god awful sound," Minato shuddered. "Fangirls."

Right on cue, a mob of girls came flooding out of the building, Akihiko stuck right smack dab in the middle of it, a look of disgust on his face.

"Sempai has my sympathies. Fangirls are an abomination. I can only hope that won't happen to me," Minato said.

"What is with these girls? It's okay to get excited and all, but please, have some decency; you give all girls a bad name," Hamuko hung her head in disgust. Junpei came out of the school and sat down next to the Arisatos.

"Have you noticed how popular Akihiko-sempai is with the ladies? Man, take a look at that…" Junpei whistled in admiration.

The girls were shouting random stuff like 'Autograph my face!', 'Marry me!', and 'I love you!'.

"I didn't use to talk to him much, but now that I live in the same dorm as him, I've got a good excuse," Junpei smirked. "I know he's the captain of the boxing team, but who would've thought he'd be such a chick magnet!? I mean, come on!"

"Well, he DOES look like a bishie," Minato noted.

"He is handsome, I'll give him that," Hamuko added. "But seriously, it's like he's a rock star to these girls."

"You don't even see girls flock like that on TV!" Junpei lamented.

Just then, the mob started slowly moving toward the three teens.

_'Oh, god, they're coming for me!'_ Minato was ready to run at a moment's notice.

"Why are they approaching us?" Hamuko asked.

The crowd parted, allowing Akihiko to approach them.

"Are you guys free this afternoon?" Akihiko asked them.

"Well, yes. Why do you ask?" Minato responded.

"Hell yeah!" Junpei cheered. "Whatcha got in mind!?"

"Are we going somewhere?" Hamuko asked.

"Later today, I want all three of you to meet me at Paulownia Mall. You know where it is, right? I'll be at the police station," Akihiko ordered them.

_'The police station? Of all the places, why there?'_

"The police station? You mean, we're not hanging out with your friends?" Junpei asked.

"Who, these girls?" Akihiko gestured to the mob of fangirls. "I don't even know their names; they talk so much that it gives me a headache. Anyway, I'm gonna head out; don't keep me waiting." Akihiko then quickly ran off, literally leaving everyone in his dust.

_ 'Holy crap, that was fast! I've never seen anyone move that quickly before! Is that his power that Mitsuru-sempai was talking about?'_ Minato was shocked.

"Aw… why can't he be more friendly?" one of the fangirls sighed.

_'Maybe if you girls weren't a bunch of moron and actually treated him like a person and not a sex god, you might actually get the time of day outta him,'_ Minato frowned.  
"But that's what makes him so cool!" another girl cheered.

"And that is why none of you will have a chance with him," Hamuko muttered. As the crowd of fangirls slowly dispersed, Junpei got up.

"Man, how can he not know their names!?" Junpei whined. "I mean, seriously! Just look at them!"

"I am. I see a bunch of people who are in love with an image, not the person," Hamuko scowled. "Aniki, if I ever act like that, smack me, would you?"

"Well, if you want…" Minato reluctantly agreed. "Anyways, we should go meet up with Sempai now. Did you see how he just rocketed out of here?"

"Yeah! That was pretty cool! He's on the boxing team? He should be on the track team!" said Junpei.

"I think that might've been his power, Junpei-kun," Hamuko figured. "Remember what Mitsuru-sempai said? She said she had clairvoyance. Perhaps Akihiko-sempai's is super speed."

"I dunno. Super speed would be very difficult and would require a crapload of secondary stuff in order to be used properly; I think he may have enhanced speed instead," Minato suggested. "He's faster than any human alive, and probably faster than most animals, but I'd say he wouldn't be any faster than say… a car, perhaps?"

"Makes sense," Hamuko agreed.

"Jeez… You have to suck the fun outta it?" Junpei frowned.

"Sorry. Just add it to my tab," Minato shrugged.

"Fine," Junpei nodded. "Let's hurry up and meet Sempai."

* * *

The three teens made their way over to Paulownia Mall's police station, where they found Akihiko chatting with the cop who was manning the station. Akihiko noticed them and motioned for them to come over.

"These are the guys I was talking about earlier. The guy in the hat is Iori Junpei, and the other two are the Arisatos: Minato and Hamuko," Akihiko introduced them.

"…Humph," the policeman stared them down.

_'Cripes, this guy reminds me of the Terminator,' _Minato involuntarily stepped back.

"This is Officer Kurosawa," Akihiko introduced the cop. "He helps keep our squad well-equipped. And this is from Ikutsuki-san." Akhiko reached into his vest and pulled out three wads of cash. "Each one contains five thousand yen; you each get one."

"Thanks," Junpei took one of the stacks.

"This is awesome," Haumko grinned as she graciously took hers.

"Hm… Well, I guess my animosity with the Chairman has lessened a little," Minato chuckled as he took the money. _'Only a little, though.'_

"You can't fight something empty-handed, and the weapons you have are rudimentary. Officer Kurosawa has connections, but these things still cost money," Akihiko explained.

"Of course they do," Kurosawa butted in. "Nothing in life is free."

"I realize that," Akihko admitted. "Well, I'll see you all later. Make sure you don't spend it all in one place."Akihiko then left the police station, leaving just the three younger teens with the policeman.

"I've been informed about you lot," Kurosawa began. "My job is to maintain peace in the city, regardless of the circumstances. I'm just an ordinary police officer, but it doesn't take a genius to know something strange is going on here. I'm only doing what I think is right."

"Thank you, Kurosawa-san," Minato nodded. "I know it's difficult to explain the situation to you, but I'm glad to know we have additional help when needed. So, who's in the mood for shopping?" Minato asked his companions.

"Pshh, not me. I'm gonna take off," Junpei stuffed the money in his pocked. "My katana is good as is." He then exited the police station, mumbling something about how he was gonna spend it.

"Well, I guess it's you and me then," Minato said to his sister.

"There's something you should know," Kurosawa got their attention. "Your grandfather, Shirogane-san, has been in contact with me."

"He has?" Hamuko asked.

"Why is that?" Minato asked as well.

"Your grandfather was my sempai during my rookie days on the force," Kurosawa explained. "So, we've always remained in contact. Your grandfather did some investigating on your group and learned I was your supplier. So, he contacted me and told me that he, via one of his offshore accounts, will pay anything you needed from me. He also said that if you needed any police-related matters taken care of, you are to see me first."

"Really?" Hamuko asked.

"Well, that's nice of him," Minato smiled.

"So all you need to do is ask, and I'll get you any weapon or armor you may need; the money will take care of itself. I should remind you, though, that unless Shirogane-sempai says otherwise, this offer is for you two ONLY," Kurosawa glared the kids down. "And no buying stuff for others, either; I pay attention and know who uses what. Also, if you have old weapons or gear you no longer need, give them to me and I'll compensate you."

_ 'This guy is scary. It's like someone took Mitsuru-sempai, turned her male, and put her in a police uniform!' _Minato thought.

"We understand, Kurosawa-san," Hamuko nodded.

"One more thing: Shirogane-semapi was kind enough to provide you two with a couple of weapons to start off. He said that these were family heirlooms and that you two were to use them well," Kurosawa pulled out two long packages.

"Wait! Are these…" Hamuko gasped.

"Well… we'll find out," Minato reached for the packages. One of them had his name on it and the other had Hamuko's name written on the packaging. Minato slowly opened his package and looked at what was inside.

"No way…" Minato gasped in awe. _'Grandfather really sent me this!?'_ Minato pulled out the contents of his package. In his hand was an elegant katana. The handle was colored a dark red, dark green, and black. The katana itself was holstered in a pitch-black sheath.

"Aniki, is that…" Hamuko gazed at the sword.

"It is," Minato whispered as he pulled the sword from his sheath. The blade itself was lovely silver, single-edged, easily two feet long. Encrusted into one side of the blade were rubies and emeralds. Engraved into the other side of the blade was the phrase _**'debirusamanaa no densetsu'**_. "It's our family's heirloom, based off the sword of our family's greatest detective, the Devil Summoner's Fury. Which means, the other package…"

"No, it couldn't be…" Hamuko slowly reached for the other package. With a delicate touch, Hamuko opened her package and gasped as she slowly withdrew its contents. The package was a naginata, not unlike the one Yukari had given her. Unlike that one, this naginata was much more elegant. The metal for the naginata's blade was identical of Minato's sword, roughly eighteen inches long. Where the blade met the pole, rubies and emeralds were also embedded into the weapon, just like Minato's. The pole itself was made of metal that was pitch-black, like the sword's sheath. At the other end of the pole was a grey metal cap that was spiked, which acted like a counterweight for the bladed end. Engraved into the pole was the phrase _**'daakusamonaazubein'**_.

"The Dark Summoner's Bane… The twin to the Devil Summoner's Fury…" Minato identified the weapon.

"But… why would he give us these? They're precious treasures," Hamuko wondered.

"Oh, that reminds me; your grandfather also gave me a note to give to you two," Kurosawa handed Minato a note.

_'A note? What does it say?'_ Minato wondered.

"Read it, aniki," Hamuko asked as Minato opened the note to read it.

_**'Dear Minato and Hamuko, I hope you two are doing well. After I got that email from Minato, I did some research in my spare time and, through my contacts, learned that Kurosawa was your supplier. I sent him the family's sword and naginata for you two to use. They are said to have been made in honor of the family's greatest detective, whom you two are distantly related to. Use them well, for they were meant to be use as weapons, not symbols. Like I told you before, trust Mitsuru-san and her father, but be wary of anyone else, for who knows what lurks underneath the surface. Regrettably, I am unable to help you directly for now, since I'm undercover; once this operation is over, I'll be able to help a lot more than I am able to now. However, if you need help in my absence, go to Kurosawa or Toriumi, or if you really need help, Naoko, but try to keep her out of the affairs regarding the Beasts, if possible. Also, you should know that in the research I was able to do, I noticed a couple of things you may want to take note of. First off, there's a member in your group named Takeba Yukari.'**_

_'Yukari? Why is he bringing her up?'_ Minato wondered.

_**'Turns out her father, Takeba Eiichiro, was the head of a highly classified section of the Kirijo Group. This section had shut down after his death, and the deaths of nearly the entire division along with it, including Mitsuru's grandfather, which was never fully explained. Whether this relates to your mystery, I haven't the foggiest. The reason why I bring this up is because your Chairman, Ikutsuki Shuji, was also a member of that division. If I had the time, I would have investigated that connection, but alas, I'm running short on time as is. Secondly, you should also know… Takeba was your parents' final client. He was the reason you all were on Port Island, other than the reunion. They never told me why he hired them; I felt you had to know. Don't hold a grudge against the daughter, though; she was and still is a child. Lastly, other than family friends, Mitsuru, and Mitsuru's father, be very cautious of who you trust with the sensitive information I'm sure you'll be gathering. There are eyes and ears everywhere; I'd recommend burning this letter after you finish with it. Now then, take good care of yourselves and your allies, always keep an eye out, and do you best out there; even though you two have chosen not to become detectives, the blood of great detectives flow in your veins, so I know you will do well. Take care and make your parents, your sister, the Kuzunoha clans, and me proud. Best wishes, Shirogane Satoshi.'**_

"I…" Minato was speechless.

"Wow. He really is going to trust us with these weapons?" Hamuko asked.

"It seems so. Did you see the parts about Yukari-chan's father?" Minato asked.

"Yeah…" Hamuko sighed. "He was our parents' final client. It's his fault our parents died…"

"No, its not," Minato replied. "I don't think he knew what would happen. It's no more his fault that it is our own, or our grandfather's, or Naoko's."

"…I guess you're right," Hamuko admitted. "I just wish…"

"I know, Hamuko. I know," Minato hugged her. The two just hugged for a minute, in absolute silence.

"Kids, this is a police station. You mind hurrying things up; I'm a busy man," Kurosawa interrupted.

"Sorry," Minato broke the hug.

"So, aniki. What do we do about this information? Tell Yukari-chan? Go to the Chairman?" Hamuko asked.

_'That's a bit of a problem. The Chairman still gives me the creeps, and telling Yukari-chan about her father… I'm not sure how she'll take it,' _Minato thought out the possibilities.

"I think we should keep quiet for now. We'll tell Yukari-chan about her father when I think she's ready. Other than that, we don't tell anyone what we learned until we get more information," Minato suggested.

"Okay then," Hamuko agreed.

_'I just hope Yukari-chan doesn't take that news too badly,'_ Minato thought.

"Now then, do you two need anything; if not, then please leave," Kurosawa asked them.

"A question. How are we supposed to bring weapons and gear here? And how are we able to take them out? Walking around town with those things is bound to attract attention of the wrong kind," Hamuko inquired.

_'Again, my sister impresses me with her insight,'_ Minato beamed with pride. _'I didn't even catch that.'_

"That is simple; during the daytime, come here and let me know what items you or the rest of your team need. Right before I start my nightly rounds, I'll go to your dorm with my police car and drop off the items; if I wasn't paid in advance here, I expect to be paid there. Also, while I'm there, I'll take any of your gear that you do not want and pay you accordingly. So long as Mitsuru, Akihiko, or the Chariman is present at the dorm when I arrive, that is," Kurosawa explained.

"Makes sense," Minato nodded. "So, what have you got in terms of armor?"

* * *

After securing an order from Kurosawa, the Arisato twins returned to the dorm, where they found Mitsuru in the lounge, reading a book.

"Welcome back," Mitsuru greeted them as she looked up from her book. "If you two have a moment, I'd like to have a word with you."

"Sure thing, semapi," Minato agreed as he and Hamuko sat down on the couch.

"What's up?" Hamuko asked.

"It's regarding our exploration of Tartarus," Mitsuru informed them. "Even with the healing sessions Takeba and I will be giving Akihiko, it will take some time for him to fully heal. So, in the meantime, I want you to lead the team, Arisato."

"I understand, sempai," Minato nodded. "Hamuko, if, for some reason, I am unable to lead, can you be the field leader?"

"I believe so," said Hamuko, gripping her skirt.

"That's fine with me," Mitsuru agreed. "Also, you never know when a powerful enemy might appear, like the one that appeared on the roof. It's best to be prepared, or else you may find yourself in a difficult position. As the field leader, you choose when we explore Tartarus; so, whenever you'd like to go, just let me know, and I'll gather everyone for the exploration. Also, if I feel that we need to go to Tartarus, I'll use my power as the leader of S.E.E.S. to overrule you, if need be."

"Gotcha, semapi," said Minato.

"Sempai, if I may, going to Tartarus wears us out. If we go every night, we'll be run ragged. So, I suggest that whenever we go to Tartarus, we won't go the following night unless absolutely necessary, so that we can be well-rested," Hamuko suggested.

"Excellent suggestion," Minato smiled. "If we keep the pace at no higher than every other day, I think we'll be fine, so long as we visit Tartarus at least twice a week."

"I agree; if you think you all can keep up with that pace, then I do not mind it," Mitsuru nodded. "Oh, and also, since I'm sure there are other things you will need to take care of, you may go out at night if you need to. The curfew is 10:30, except for nights when we will be exploring Tartarus, in which case the curfew is 8:00."

"Understood, semapi," the twins nodded.

"Good. Well, that's it; keep up the good work," Mitsuru complimented them.

"Sure thing, sempai," Hamuko said.

"Oh, semapi, we met with Kurosawa-san today, thanks to Akihiko-sempai. He will be coming along later with the gear we bought," Minato informed her.

"Thank you for telling me; I will be waiting here for him, then," Mitsuru replied.

_'Grandfather said to trust her, so I guess I should show that in some degree…'_ "And Mitsuru-semapi?" Minato continued.

"Qui?"

"If you ever need to talk, or if you need help, don't be a stranger; Hamuko and I can be there for you. And my grandfather's network of contacts and spies is at your disposal, should you need them," Minato offered. "We're all teammates here; we need to look out for each other."

Mitsuru looked at Minato warily for a moment, making him nervous.

_'Maybe I shouldn't have done that…'_

Mitsuru then flicked her hair out of her eye and softly smiled. "I understand, Arisato. Should I have a need to, I'll take you up on your offer. Thank you. And if you need my help, my door is open for you anytime. Same for you, Arisato-kohai."

"Thank you, sempai," Hamuko bowed.

"Anytime, sempai," Minato smirked.

**SMASH!**

Like before, time froze and it got darker. A card materialized in the air. It had a pink background, looking like stained glass. On the sides of the card, vines grew up and down. In the center of the card, a black sphere with what appeared to be a cross were fused together, a crown floating above the top of the cross. Below the picture, the Roman numeral for three was written.

_**'Thou art I and I am thou… Thou hast established a new bond. It brings thee closer to thy destiny. Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Empress Arcana…'**_

The card shattered, its blue light showering Minato and Mitsuru in its brilliance. _'Well, I'll be. I owe ya one, Grandfather,'_ Minato smirked as time resumed.

* * *

After school the next day, Minato was packing up his stuff. Hamuko has gone off to meet some girls she had befriended while he was in the hospital. As he was packing, Kenji had approached him.

"Hey, man," Kenji greeted him. "I'm gonna get some ramen after school. You wanna come?"

"Are you asking me because you want the scoop on Yukari-chan?" Minato asked. _'He did seem awfully interested in my relationship with her.'_

"Sorta, but… in reality, I just wanted to get the chance to chat with you. You seem like a decent guy and I'd like to be your friend," Kenji admitted. "Whaddya say? Let's go get some ramen."

_'He seems sincere. Sure, why not?' _"Sure," Minato agreed. "I'll even pay for your ramen." He then spotted Junpei in the corner of the room, chatting it up with another student. _'I still owe Junpei for helping me out the other day. I should see if I can get him to join in.'_ "Mind if I drag Junpei along? I own him from the other day; I'm sure he'd like some ramen," he asked.

"Sure, why not?" Kenji shrugged.

"Cool. Hey Junpei!" Minato shouted, getting Junpei's attention. "I'm gonna go get some ramen with Kenji. Wanna tag along as well? It's my treat."

"Do I ever!" Junpei grinned as he approached them. "I forgot my lunch, so I'm starving!"

"Excellent! Then let's get going!" Minato cheered. _'Oh crap! I forgot! I don't know any ramen places!'_ "Um… where's a ramen place around here?" he asked, electing chuckles from the other boys.

* * *

Kenji had led Minato and Junpei to a place called Hagakure, located at Iwatodai station. It was a homely place, the restaurant filled with the scents of various soups and ramen. The three sat down at the booth and made their orders. When the ramen came, all three dove in.

"Whew!" Kenji downed some noodles. "Now that's what I'm talking about! Was I right, or was I right?"

"I gotta admit, Kenji, you were right; the ramen did live up to your hype," Minato drank some broth.

"Hell yeah! We got ourselves a believer, Kenji!" Junpei hi-fived Kenji.

_'What exactly do they put in this? It's unbelievable!'_ Minato found the ramen more and more irresistible. "What exactly do they put in it?"

"No one really knows," said Kenji. "Rumors go around saying that it's a special ingredient that no one else uses. However, no one has been able to figure out what it is."

"Yeah. Not even the Gourmet King, Gekkoukan's resident expert on all things food-related is able to pinpoint the secret ingredient!" Junpei added.

"If I had to guess, it's most likely a spice of some kind," Kenji shrugged.

_'Maybe I can get my grandfather's contacts to see what the secret ingredient is…'_ Minato wondered.

"Probably something exotic from like South America, or maybe it's a fruit from Africa, or a vegetable from Australia, or…" Kenji was rambling on.

"Dude's passionate about his ramen," Minato chuckled.

"Yeah. It's said that when it comes to ramen, Kenji rivals the Gourmet King," said Junpei. "They even say that Kenji could out-eat him in ramen."

"That'd be a sight to see," Minato replied.

"…or maybe some scientists from America artificially create it, or…"

"Dude, if you keep geeking out on us, your ramen's gonna get cold," Junpei pointed out.

"Yeah. At this point, all you're missing is the glasses, pocket protector, and the suspenders," Minato joked.

"Hehe," Kenji rubbed the back of his head, blushing. "My bad; I get geeked up whenever I eat here."

"I don't necessarily blame you. The ramen here is delicious," Minato downed some of the heavenly food.

"You do? Really?" Kenji was shocked.

"Well, yeah," Minato shrugged.

"Told ya, Kenji. Minato's a cool guy to hang around," Junpei slurped up some noodles.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, Junpei. Minato didn't seem look like the kind of person I normally hang with, but I guess looks aren't everything," Kenji shrugged.

"It's the hair, isn't it?" Minato sighed. "My hair gives everyone the impression I'm an emo," he huffed, causing his bangs to fly up for a second before falling in front of his eyes again. "It's such a pain. And cutting it doesn't work; my hair grows super-fast, so even if I were to go completely bald, it'd grow back completely in less than three weeks."

"Oh… I'm sorry," Kenji apologized. "I… I didn't know."

"I'm only kidding!" Minato laughed. "Take a joke, man." _'Way too easy.'_

"Dude! Don't worry me like that!" Kenji mockingly held his chest. "I could've had a heart attack!"

"Good one, Minato!" Junpei slapped Minato on the back.

"By the way, I heard you and Yukari-san are close," Kenji changed the subject. "Damn, you move fast! You just transferred here and all, but I don't blame you; these days, you gotta be aggressive."

"And who is it that told you that I'm with Yukari-chan?" Minato asked.

"I knew it! You're using 'chan'! You two ARE close!" Kenji pointed at Minato.

"Told ya so, Kenji. Those two are probably making out in the broom closet after school," Junpei laughed.

_'Dammit, I walked right into that one,' _Minato chastised himself. _'Better set the record straight.'_ "Guys, Yukari-chan is not my girlfriend, despite what you may think. She's only a friend, but I won't deny that's she cute and would probably make some guy, or me, very happy to be her boyfriend. If something's going to happen between her and me, I want it to develop naturally, not be forced along by a couple of shippers on deck. Besides, what would Yukari-chan say if she learned you two were spreading false rumors around about her and me?"

Kenji and Junpei thought about it for a moment, then their faces suddenly paled.

"Oh, crap!" Junpei shouted. "Anything but that!"

"Dude, she won't live it down for weeks!" Kenji added. "And knowing her, she'll turn the girls of Gekkoukan against us!"

"Then I would highly advise you two to keep any theories you have about me and Yukari-chan to yourselves; in exchange, should Yukari-chan and I hook up, you'll be the first to know," Minato promised.

"Sounds good to me," Kenji agreed.

"As long I steer clear from Typhoon Yuka-tan, I'm fine," added Junpei.

_'Phew. That was a close one. If those rumors persisted, Hamuko might've been all up in my business, and no one wants that,'_ Minato sighed in relief as he ate more of his ramen.

"You know what? We should hang out again. We'll get some food and I'll tell you about my secret plan. Wait until you hear it dude; you're gonna flip!" Kenji proclaimed.

"Secret plan? What plan?" Minato asked. _'I hope it has nothing to do with the Dark Hour.'_

"Minato, trust me, it's a plan that's gonna knock your socks off," Junpei vowed. "And Kenji's dead set on it, that I promise."

"Well, okay then, I guess I'll hear it when I get a chance," said Minato.

"Excellent!" Kenji smiled.

"We gotta hang out more often too, Minato; after all, we live in the same dorm," said Junpei.

"Of course, Junpei. I hope you're not going to try and butter me up in order to get a shot at my sister," Minato glared at him.

"Well, maybe…" Junpei cheekily grinned.

All three of them started laughing, enjoying each other's company.

**SMASH!**

Time came to a stop and the colors all faded to gray. Two cards materialized into the air this time.

_'What? Two cards? Wow, I guess I'm on a roll or something,' _thought Minato.

One card had a picture of a flame with hands reaching out towards the flames. A pair of eyes floated above the flame and the symbol for infinity floated above the eyes like a halo. Beneath the hands, the Roman numeral for one was written. On the other card had a picture of a lightning-struck tower on it, the top part being blown off by the lightning. Below that, the Roman numeral for sixteen was written.

_**"Thou art I… And I am thou… Thou hast established new bonds. It brings thee closer to thy destiny. Thou shalt have our blessings when creating Personas of the Magician and Tower Arcana…" **_

The Magician card shattered, its light bathing Kenji and Minato. The Tower card immediately followed, covering both Minato and Junpei. As time resumed, Minato decided to speak. "Okay guys, enough fun; our ramen's getting cold!"

"Right!" Kenji and Junpei agreed and all three dug in to what's left of their ramen.

* * *

That night, Minato returned to the dorm, finding Mitsuru and Hamuko engaged in casual conversation. "Hi, aniki! What's up?" Hamuko greeted him.

"I hung out with some of the guys today. Nice bunch," Minato replied.

"That's cool," Hamuko smiled.

"Good evening, Arisato," Mitsuru took her turn in greeting him.

"Evening, sempai," Minato greeted back.

"If I can have a moment, I forgot to tell you something yesterday," Mitsuru told him.

"Oh? What is it?" Minato asked.

"As Arisato-kohai pointed out yesterday, exploring Tartarus can be exhausting, especially since you must do so late at night. You may find that you need a great deal of rest to recuperate. Everyone's condition will vary as well, so make sure you that into consideration, but I believe you've already got that covered. If you want an evaluation of everyone's condition, don't hesitate to ask me; with my power, I am able to see if everyone is combat-ready or not," Mitsuru informed Minato.

"I gotcha, Mitsuru-sempai," Minato replied. "Is everyone here and rested?"

"They are? Do you wish to go to Tartarus tonight?" Mitsuru asked.

"Definitely," Minato smiled, eager to explore the tower once more.

* * *

Well, that's all for this chapter. Got some character development, backstory on the Arisatos, and some Social Links in. Next chapter, we return to Tartarus, where we'll encounter an antagonist that haunts its halls.

_**Green Midnight Dictionary:**_

**debirusamanaa no densetsu:** Roughly translated, it means 'Devil Summoner's Fury'. I had a friend who was proficient in Japanese translate the English phrase to Japanese. However, I cannot testify as to how accurate the phrase is.

**daakusamonaazubein:** roughly translated, it means 'Dark Summoner's Bane'. I had a friend who was proficient in Japanese translate the English phrase to Japanese. However, I cannot testify as to how accurate the phrase is.


	10. Chapter 10: Jester

Welcome to a new chapter of Green Midnight. In this chapter, we once again enter the halls of Tartarus to find something lurking there, something no one expected. Now, I'm not entirely sure how this chapter will go over with you all, but I hope it goes well. If not, then, crap. And on that note, reviews!

NightmareSyndrom: Correct. Junpei is the Tower, and there will be no drunken priest. I'm streamlining the Social Links so that they don't seem like side-stories. Which means no Tanaka, no Maiko, no Akinari, no Gourmet King, and no Mamoru. All those links have been replaced with P3P Female Protagonist-specific links or original ones I've crafted for the story. If you wanna see Social Links with those five and the drunk priest, then go read Fairly English Story. All Social Links will be concentrated around S.E.E.S. and/or Gekkoukan, except for the old couple at Bookworks. I like them, so they got to stay. Personally, I liked how the resolution system worked in P4 versus P3; admittedly, it would've been better if it was more in the main plot, but I like how you have to actually work for it.

Grayjack72: Ah, nice to see you here. Thanks.

ravenwingcorps: As of right now, the twins are using the weapons. What power do they hold, if they hold power at all? I'm not sure yet. And you'll see that spy network in play sometime in the future.

DeadBrain: I agree. A shame how he could only link with the girls. Good think that was fixed in P3P, at least for Hamuko. She links with the entire team, even Koromaru and Shinji!

mangafreak7793: Actually, if you think about it, Junpei is perfectly suited for the Tower. The Tower represents Pride, Sudden Change, Blows to the Ego, Explosive Transformation, Uncomfortable Experience, Failure, Chaotic... Now can you apply all that to Junpei in some way or form? I can. Easily. And remember, Junpei is the Red Oni to Minato's Blue Oni. On a side note, in this story, if Minato didn't have the Wild Card, his original Arcana would've been Justice.

Oblivionkey99: That's Devil Summoner, not Devil Survivor. While it is true that there's a backup leader, the story will still follow Minato, except when the plot demands I show another character's PoV. Heh, you might even get character chapters in the future. And Minato's not necessarily a genius; its that he extended an offer of trust to Mitsuru. Touched by this generous offer, she accepted, starting the Social Link.

Brandon Skyblade: Nice to see you here as well! Thanks. Yeah, that's Minato in a nutshell. And I do enjoy filling in those plot holes. And because you asked, I'll remind you that this is a battle chapter, so you're going to need some of my extended battle music. Now, you're free to choose whatever you want, but I do have one suggestion: Burning Battlefield. (watch?v=kCOSHuBd0ag) I know it's not a MegaTen/Persona song, but it fits perfectly for this chapter. You'll know when to play it. If you don't want that, then go with either Master of Tartarus (watch?v=EWhkNwYv22k) or Danger Zone (watch?v=U-y43U2tbsI)

Hareru1995: Thanks. And, well, like I said earlier, no Club Escapade Monk. The fortune-telling woman? To be honest, I never used her in P3. I can try and figure out how to get her in, but I don't know how to go about that at the moment.

Echo the Ethereal Swordmaster: Everyone seems surprised that I made Junpei the Tower. I did warn, more than once, that Links would get changed. But thanks.

A fan: Thanks. I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

Let the chapter begin!

**In-Game Date:** April 22, 2009 (Dark Hour)

* * *

**Chapter 10:** _**Jester**_

When the Dark Hour came, the members of S.E.E.S. found themselves back at Tartarus, ready to explore its halls once more.

"As we explore Tartarus, the first floor will be our temporary base of operations," Mitsuru explained. "Also, I found out something about Tartarus. A few floors up, there's a barricade preventing you from going any higher. The tower seems to have a number of these interspersed amongst its floors. I know I told you that the layout changes each day, but these barriers seem to be in fixed locations. Therefore, I'd like you to try and reach the first barricade. I'm counting on you."

"A barrier, eh?" Minato noted. "I think we can get to it. Maybe not today, but we will get to it."

"All right then. Make your preparations, and then we shall begin," Mitsuru ordered.

Minato decided now would be a good time to visit the Velvet Room and see what Igor was up to.

* * *

"Ah, there you are. Welcome to the Velvet Room," Igor greeted Minato as he entered. "Please have a seat."

Minato took his seat, ready to talk. "So, last time, you said you'd explain to me your true role. Well, I'm ready," said Minato.

"Ah, good. Well, my job here in the Velvet Room is to create new Personas," Igor informed him.

"Create new Personas?" Minato asked. "You can do that?"

"I can, but in order to do so, I must fuse your Persona cards together; in other words, I shall merge them into a single Persona. Furthermore, if you've established a Social Link, you may be able to create an even stronger Persona. So, as you accumulate cards, please bring them to me," Igor explained.

"So, let me get this straight. I beat up Shadows, and I seize Persona cards as spoils of victory. I then take these cards to you to have fused together to make stronger Personas. And the strength of those fused Personas will depend on my Social Links?" Minato wanted clarification.

"That is correct; however, under most circumstance, I am unable to use Orpheus in a fusion, as that is your true Persona," Igor added.

"I see…" Minato nodded. _'Damn, this sounds like stuff you'd hear in an RPG.'_

"Minato-san, is it okay if I see the bracelet you were given?" Elizabeth suddenly asked.

"Um… Why?" Minato asked.

"I wish to make some upgrades to it, in order to make things a little easier for you," Elizabeth explained.

"Well… okay," Minato handed her the wristband Mitsuru had given him.

Elizabeth took the wristband and her hand started to glow, the wristband along with it. After a few seconds, the glow faded away, and she returned the item to Minato.

"What did you do?" Minato asked.

"I altered the wristband so that it would be better suited for a Wild Card such as yourself," Elizabeth explained. "Using my power, I've given it a touch screen, and you're now able to shuffle through them mentally; however, for this demonstration, please use the button."

Minato took a look at the wristband's screen. The screen, which listed the Persona Apsaras, his Level, HP, and SP remained the same. Pressing the button, he went to the second screen, which had changed. Instead of listing his Persona and stats, it showed the pictures of the two Personas in Minato's arsenal: Orpheus and Apsaras.

"Oh, so this screen will remind me which Personas I have?" Minato asked, to which Elizabeth nodded.

Minato went on to the next screen. This screen listed his stats. However, this time, it had two sets of numbers.

"The first set of numbers show your true stats without influence from your Personas. The second set are your stats influenced by which Persona is currently active; in this case, Asparas is currently active, so she is influencing your stats," said Elizabeth. On the next screen, it showed Apsaras and her set of skills, Bufu and Posumudi. It also showed that her next skill to be learned was a skill called Sukunda.

"This screen shows the skills that the currently active Persona knows, as well as the next skill it will learn. If there are any boxes with question marks below the next skill to be learned, that means it can learn even more skills. You can also scroll through your other Personas as well here."

_'Well, there are no boxes, so Sukunda is the last skill, I guess,'_ Minato sighed.

Another press of the button led Minato to an interesting screen. This screen had pictures of the cards Minato had been seeing when he formed Social Links.

"This screen shows your Social Links, of which you have five so far. You can only see up to three at a time, but you can also scroll and see all the links," Elizabeth instructed him.

Minato took another look at the screen. On the left side of the screen, he saw the cards for Fool, Magician, and Empress. Next to the Fool card was the S.E.E.S. armband. Next to the Magician and Empress cards were caricatures of Kenji and Mitsuru, respectively.

_'Heh, chibi-Kenji and Mitsuru-sempai. _How cute,' Minato smirked.

Underneath each set of card and caricature was a black bar split into ten pieces. For all three links, each had one bar colored green, except for Fool, which had two.

"What's the bar for? A progress bar?" Minato asked.

"That is correct. The bar marks how far you've progressed in a particular Social Link. The color of the bar also indicates how strong the bond is: if it's green, then it's strong. However, if the color is yellow, then the Link has been reversed," Elizabeth explained.

"Reversed? What does that mean?" Minato asked.

"When a Social Link is reversed, that means that you have angered the person you are linking with. Why that person is angered could be almost any reason. However, should you talk it though with them, you can restore the link," said Igor. "And as long as a link is reversed, you cannot strengthen it. And if you are not careful, it is possible to even break a Link."

"I can break a Social Link?" Minato asked.

"That is correct," Igor nodded. "Should you significantly anger a person, causing them not to want to associate with you, the Social Link will break. While it can be repaired, it'll be quite difficult to do so. And while the link is broken, you won't be able to fuse any Personas of the associating Arcana."

"Should a Link be broken, the progress bar will turn red," Elizabeth added. "And when you've fully strengthened the Link, the bar will turn white, symbolizing the fact that the Link is everlasting."

"Gotcha," Minato nodded in acknowledgement.

He then ran a finger down the screen, causing the info to scroll down. The cards for Lovers and Tower appeared, along with caricatures of Yukari and Junpei. _'Heh. Junpei's is exactly what I expected and Yukari's is surprising cute,'_ Minato smiled.

Junpei's had one section of the black bar colored green, while Yukari's had two sections green.

"Is there anything else?" Minato asked.

"Actually, there is," said Elizabeth. "There's one more screen. If you would."

Minato pressed the button again, showing a brand new screen. This screen had headshots of Minato, Hamuko, Yukari, Junpei, Mitsuru, and Akihiko. Next to each person's head were his or her current HP and SP.

"Oh, this'll show me everyone's stats?" Minato asked.

"That is correct," Elizabeth confirmed. "This way, you will know how all your allies are faring, regardless of where they are or what they're doing. One last thing: to mentally shift through the screen, just think of the content of the screen. For example, if you want your Social Links, just think Social Links."

"Thank you, Elizabeth-san," Minato smiled. "This will be very helpful." "Anytime. I am here to serve," Elizabeth bowed.

"Right now, you only possess two Persona," said Igor. "Gather more Persona and I shall be able to assist you. However, remember you can only hold six Personas at the moment. Should you try to seize a seventh, you will have to banish one of the other six. It cannot be the one currently equipped, nor can it be Orpheus."

"That's quite interesting…" Minato nodded. "I'll remember that."

"Well then, I think that is everything. When you gather more Personas, please come back and I shall fuse them for you. Also, when the other entrance is ready, Elizabeth will inform you of it," said Igor.

"Thank you, Igor," Minato nodded. "If you will excuse me, S.E.E.S. is waiting for me."

"Of course," Igor understood. "Until next time…"

* * *

As Minato returned to Tartarus, he found Mitsuru waiting for him.

"You know, if you're going to just keep staring off into deep space, I may have to reevaluate the decision to make you field leader," Mitsuru warned him.

"I apologize, Mitsuru-sempai," Minato sheepishly smiled. "I'll try to keep myself in check."

"I suggest you do, or else," Mitsuru glared at him.

'_SO SCARY!'_ Minato's thoughts rang out.

"Now then, I suggest we get the exploration started. Like I told you earlier, try to get to the barrier," said Mitsuru.

"Understood, sempai," Minato nodded. "Is everyone ready to go?"

"Yes!" Hamuko, Yukari, and Junpei replied.

"Then let's get this party started," said Minato as they walked up the stairs.

* * *

For the next little while, S.E.E.S. explored Tartarus and fought Shadows, growing stronger as they climbed up the tower. Eventually, they managed to make it to the fifth floor of Tartarus.

"We've made it to the fifth floor!" Junpei cheered.

"Congratulations, everyone," Minato smiled. "Do you want to keep going or do you want to stop here for the night?"

"I have enough in me still to explore the floor," Hamuko looked at her wristband. "However, I think this should be as high as we go for today."

"I agree. I'm beginning to feel a little winded. I can still keep going, but I shouldn't push myself too hard," Yukari added.

"All right then; we'll keep going a little longer," Minato ordered.

**"Everyone! Be on your guard! I detect a powerful presence in the center of the floor!"** Mitsuru warned them. **"Proceed with caution!"**

"Can you detect the Shadow's weaknesses?" Minato asked.

**"I cannot. You will have to directly engage it in order to for me to analyze it,"** Mitsuru informed him. **"If you feel you're not ready to engage, then please return to the entrance and reorganize."**

"Aniki, what should we do?" Hamuko asked.

_'We can still fight, but we're not at our full potential. Should we just charge in and fight? Or should we try to avoid fighting and find the transporter?'_ Minato internally debated.

"I think… we should try and get to the transporter. If we have to, we'll fight, but the transporter is our priority," Minato ordered.

"We don't get to fight?" Junpei asked.

"Maybe. But that depends mostly on what we run into first: the threat or the transporter," Minato replied.

"Aw…" Junpei sighed.

"Well, let's get out of here," said Minato as he stepped forward.

**"Wait!"** Mitsuru shouted. **"The presence is moving! It's coming right for you!" **

"Everyone, on your guard!" Minato ordered as he held his sword defensively.

Everyone quickly assumed defensive positions, ready for anything.

_**"Ku, ku, ku. I'm impressed. Not only did you have the gall to return to the Tower of Demise, you've actually climbed a couple of floors. I'm impressed,"**_ a feminine voice echoed through the halls.

_'Where's that voice coming from!?'_ Minato was worried.

"Eee!" Yukari screeched. "Who's there!?"

_** "Wouldn't you like to know?"**_ the voice replied. _**"Anyways, I think it would be proper for me to introduce myself."**_

A portal of darkness opened in front of the group, catching everyone off guard as a figure stepped out of the portal. The figure was that of a woman. She had silver hair tied off in two long pigtails. She was clad in a black skintight jumpsuit that left little to the imagination. On the jumpsuits were pictures of the Tarot cards Minato had been seeing when making Social Links, plus ones he's yet to see. She wore elbow-length white gloves and knee-high white-heeled boots. Her face was completely covered by a white mask of a smiling face. On her head sat a white and black jester's cap with bells on it.

**"Something's not quite right! I sense that she's a Shadow, yet I sense human life and the power of a Persona within her!"** Mitsuru warned them.

_'Human life? She's a person!?'_ Minato gasped.

"Greetings!" the woman waved to them. "It's so nice to meet you; Tartarus rarely gets guests these days."

"Who are you?" Minato asked.

"Who am I?" the woman scoffed. "Well, you can call me 'Jester'."

" 'Jester', eh?" Hamuko quirked an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?" "What am I doing here?" Jester mockingly repeated the question. "Well… I suppose you can say that my master and I act as caretakers for this tower; after all, every lighthouse needs its keeper."

_'Master? Lighthouse?'_ Minato pondered. _'What is she babbling about? And is she our enemy?'_

"What exactly are you?" Junpei asked.

"Me? Well… Like your friend downstairs said, I'm a Shadow, yet I possess human life and the power of a Persona, so I guess you can say I'm a hybrid," Jester chuckled.

**"She can hear me!?"** Mitsuru gasped.

"Of course I can hear you," Jester nonchalantly replied, surprising everyone. "My master and I know EVERYTHING that happens in this tower, including the fact that you believe that the answers to the Dark Hour lie within these walls. You honestly think you can overcome the obstacles here?"

"Yeah! And we'll stop anyone who gets in our way!" Yukari shouted.

"My, my, big words from such a small dog," Jester lurched forward. "You sound confident, yet I can smell the fear dripping off you like sweat. Is your bark bigger than your bite, girl?"

Yukari involuntarily took a step back, unnerved by this woman.

"You said you had a master. Who is it?" Minato asked.

"Oh, if you do well enough in the tower, you'll see him soon enough," Jester wagged a finger at him. "But for now, you're my toys. How about we play a game? Win, and you get a prize. Lose, and it's your lives I claim."

"We don't have a choice, do we?" Minato asked.

"No. No you don't," Jester cackled, making everyone nervous.

"Get ready, everyone!" Minato ordered.

"Bring it on!" Hamuko shouted.

"Oh, you're gonna get it!" Yukari growled.

"Heh, I'm not gonna let some girl beat me," Junpei smirked.

"Yes, get pumped up; this will make it more exciting," Jester raised a hand into the air, dark energy surrounding it. "I hope you're ready…" The dark energy formed into a sphere in Jester's hand. "…for a good ol' fashioned showdown." The energy in her hand dissipated, revealing a red and white ball with a silver stripe going down the middle.

_'Wait…'_ Minato noticed the ball. _'Is that…'_

"Pidgey, I choose you!" Jester shouted as she threw the ball at the group.

The ball fell short of the group, but it exploded, revealing a bird with various shades of brown and black feathers around its eyes.

"What the heck!?" Hamuko gasped.

"Are you kidding me!?" Junpei was shocked.

"Is that…" Yukari's eyes widened.

"A Pokémon!?" Minato fought back a laugh. "You serious? How is that even possible? It doesn't even have masks like Shadows, so what are they?"

"Whenever I want something, I just think of it and it pops up. It's as simple as that. If I want freaking little green men from Mars, I get them," Jester explained as Pidgey flapped over to her.

**"Be careful, everyone! If she's got the power of a Shadow and a Persona-user, then that is her power: the power to manifest her thoughts into a physical form,"** Mitsuru warned them.

"Crap! That could be bad!" Hamuko gasped.

"Your friend downstairs is very observant. Too bad she can't play... Yes, it seems we need more players," Jester snapped her fingers and three more Poké Balls appeared, floating in front of her. "I choose you! Hoothoot! Taillow! Starly!"

The Poke Balls flew forward and exploded, revealing three more birds.

"Think of this as a battle between Pokémon trainers. Four on four battle. Win, and I'll let you know a secret or two about Tartarus. Lose, and well, I get your lives," Jester chuckled as the bird Pokémon circled her.

"Bring in on!" Junpei shouted. "I ain't losing to no birds!"

"Then let the battle begin!" Jester shouted as the bird Pokémon flew right at S.E.E.S.

_'Flying-type Pokémon are weak to electricity, but I don't have any Zio skills. Crap!'_ Minato thought as he swiped at the Hoothoot that flew right at him.

"Sempai, analysis!" he shouted as he ran towards the Hoothoot.

**"Roger. I'll attempt to analyze the enemy. Hold them off for now," **Mitsuru replied.

"Gotcha," Minato replied as he put the Evoker to his head. "Go! Orpheus!"

Orpheus flew out and bashed Hoothoot with its lyre, knocking it to the ground. With his opponent stunned for the moment, Minato turned to see how the rest of his team was faring.

"Garu!" Yukari shouted as Io fired blasts of wind in an attempt to strike down their opponent Taillow, but the spell didn't seem to have any effect.

Hamuko was forced on the defensive as Pidgey fired a blast of wind at her. Using her naginata as a shield, she withstood the attack, only to be slammed head on by Pidgey's beak.

Junpei was blindly chasing after Starly, randomly swiping at it with his katana, but it was also too fast to be hit. Starly flew up high, did a loop in the air, and slammed Junpei in the back.

_'Crap! They're too slow to do any damage!'_ Minato realized.

Just then, a powerful blow got him in the back, knocking him into the ground.

"Always keep you eye on the ball!" Jester shouted from the background.

"Ow… That hurt," Minato groaned as he got back up.

**"Everyone! All four enemies can cancel out all Garu skills and are resistant to Strike attacks. However, they're weak to Zio, Bufu, and Pierce skills! Takeba, use you bow to strike them down!"** Mitsuru shouted.

_'Of course! I forgot that Flying-types are weak to Ice!'_

"I'd love to, but they're too damn fast!" Yukari shouted as she fired a couple of arrows at Taillow, who casually dodged them.

"Then time for a speed boost. Cadenza!" Minato pulled the trigger to his Evoker, causing everyone to be coated in a green light. "Take 'em down!"

"Eat this!" Junpei shouted as he summoned Hermes; Hermes launched a barrage of flames at Starly, forcing it on the defensive.

"Go, Eurydice!" Hamuko summoned her Persona; Eurydice fired a blast of ice at Pidgey, who barely dodged it.

Yukari quickly fired more arrows at Taillow. Thanks to the speed boost from Cadenza, Yukari's aim was a lot more accurate, forcing Taillow to constantly dodge.

"Time for me to get in there," said Minato as he noticed Hoothoot charging right at him.

"Sukunda!" Minato summoned Apsaras, who blasted Hoothoot with a green light. Hoothoot immediately slowed down, making him an easy target.

"Let's dance!" he shouted as he ran at Hoothoot. He stabbed the bird Pokémon, causing black Shadow goo to shoot out. The sword came ripping out with a barrage of feathers and Minato turned around, using the momentum to increase his slash at Hoothoot.

"Say goodnight!" Minato taunted at he jumped up, sword poised; he then brought his sword down on Hoothoot's head with all his strength, knocking it into the ground, stunning it.

"Gotcha!" he heard Yukari shout. Minato turned to see that Taillow had been pierced by Yukari's arrow and it was slumped over on the ground.

"Better finish this," Minato turned back to his opponent, who was struggling to get back up.

"Bufu!" Minato pulled the trigger to his Evoker, causing Apsaras to appear. Apsaras pointed her palm at the bird Pokémon, firing a shard of ice from it. The ice consumed the Pokémon, turning it into a frigid block.

"Orpheus!" Minato called out his loyal Persona. Orpheus strummed its lyre, firing a sphere of fire at the frozen Pokémon, causing it to shatter into pieces.

Minato turned around to see that Yukari that manage to strike down the Pidgey that was troubling Hamuko and now they, along with Junpei, were tackling the Starly. The effects of Cadenza had worn off, giving Starly the advantage again.

"Sukunda!" Minato caused Starly's speed to drop drastically.

Taking advantage of the slowed down Starly, Junpei took the opportunity to strike.

"Go, Hermes!" Junpei invoked his Persona.

Hermes flew right at Starly, slashing it with its wings. The attack struck hard, knocking Starly down to the ground. With all three remaining Pokémon on the ground, Junpei saw an opening.

"Here's out chance! Let's get 'em!" he called out.

"Everyone, charge!" Minato shouted, initiating an All-Out Attack. The force of the attacks kicked up a cloud of dust making it hard to see.

"Yay! A big ball of violence!" Jester clapped jovially.

As the dust cleared, Jester could see that all of her Pokémon were clearly gone, signaling that Minato and company had won.

"Well, I'll be, you actually did it," Jester rubbed her chin.

"Enough games," Minato spat. "Surrender now or prepare to fight."

"Oh, please. Between getting up here and that battle just now, I'd say you lot are on your last legs," Jester scoffed. "I could just summon something else that can easily beat you or I could kick ass myself."

Minato looked to see that Yukari was breathing heavily, Hamuko was leaning on her weapon, and Junpei was having a hard time holding his katana up. He then quickly looked at his writsband and saw that all three were low on health and magic. In fact, he was the only one capable of fighting at the moment.

"Grr…" Minato growled. _'We're in a tight spot, and bluffing is not going to work.'_

"However, a deal's a deal, so I'll cough up some info," Jester raised her hands in defeat. "I'll tell you two things that'll help you out in your exploration of the Tower of Demise."

"And they are?" Yukari asked.

"First off, I'm sure you've noticed that golden clock down on the first floor, right?" Jester asked.

"Yeah. What of it?" Junpei glared at her.

"For a price, it'll restore stamina and magical power. The price: yen," Jester informed them.  
"What? It can do that?" Hamuko asked.

"It can," Jester chuckled.

"Why on earth would something like that be here? And of all the things, why yen? I'm sure you could think of something more sinister as payment," Minato inquired.

"Why? Well, I didn't put it here, so I don't know why. As for why yen, easy. I'm a girl; I have needs, just like the rest of you, ku ku ku," Jester raised a hand to where her mouth probably was, scoffing at them.

_'Oh, you've got to be kidding me,'_ Minato rolled his eyes.

"And the other thing?" Hamuko asked.

"A little down the hall is a special transporter. Once activated, it will take you back to the first floor. However, unlike the transporters you've seen so far, its not one-way only, so you can use the transporter on the first floor to get back to the one on this floor," Jester explained.

"Wait, so we won't have to climb up all these floors again?" Junpei asked, an eyebrow quirked.

"That is correct. Every few floors, you'll find one of these special transporters. However, there's going to be an obstacle on those floors that you have to clear first, whether it be the Shadows, my master, myself, or something else entirely. The good news is that, once that obstacle is clear, no Shadows will inhabit those floor from that point forward, so you can consider them safety zones," said Jester.

"Oh, that just sounds wonderful," Yukari sighed.

"And now that I've spilled my guts, it's time for me to take my leave. I must say that you guys now have me interested. Let's see if you guys can make it to the barrier at the end of this block; if you can do so, I'll have something special for you, ku ku ku," Jester laughed as a portal of darkness opened up behind her. "Good luck; you're going to need it."

"Wait!" Minato shouted as he tried to catch her.

"See ya!" Jester waved as she stepped into the portal.

Minato lunged forward in an attempt to grab her, but his fingers were only able to grab air.

"Dammit!" Minato stomped the ground. "She got away!"

"Is that really so bad, aniki?" Hamuko approached her brother. "We were in bad shape. If she hadn't of left, we would've been beaten for sure."

"I… I know," Minato growled. "I… I just hate being toyed with like that."

"It's okay," Hamuko patted his shoulder. "Let's just go ahead and get out of here."

"I agree. Let's just find the transporter and get out of here before we're ambushed again," Yukari added.

"Very well then," Minato nodded. "Everyone, stay close."

* * *

After searching for a minute or two, the group managed to find the transporter. However, it was different from the ones they had found so far. This particular one looked exactly like the one found on the ground floor.

"Well, this looks different. Perhaps Jester wasn't lying," Yukari noted.

"Maybe…" Minato whispered.

"Hey! What's that?" Junpei pointed at the wall nearby, which had two metal briefcases leaning on them, one of them having a note attached to them.

Minato walked over to the briefcases and read the note.

_**"A sign of appreciation for playing with me tonight. Hope we can play again soon! XOXO Jester,"**_ Minato read the note aloud.  
Junpei and Hamuko popped open the briefcases and gasped. Inside one briefcase was a lot of money; the other held a couple of bottles of white liquid and another note.

_**"T**__**he bottles are full of a drink known as 'Soma'. One gulp will fully restore your strength and energy. However, these things are not easy to come by, so use sparingly. XOXO Jester,"**_ Hamuko read the note aloud.

**"Soma!? The drink of the gods!?"** Mitsuru gasped from over the radio. **"But how? No one knows how its made or what's it made of. If that is really Soma, how did she get it?"**

"Dude! There's at least eighty thousand yen in here!" Junpei gasped as he held the money.

"Wow, that's a lot of money," Hamuko whistled.

"What should we do, Minato-kun? Do we take this stuff with us?" Yukari asked. "It could be a trap."

_'Do we just take this with us? It could be a trap. Then again, not taking it with us may anger Jester, which could lead to a whole bigger mess,'_ Minato mused.

"What do you think, Mitsuru-sempai?" Minato asked.

**"I would advise you to take them with you. If that really is the legendary Soma, then not only would we benefit from it, the Kirijo group may be able to duplicate it,"** Mitsuru gave her opinion. **"Besides, I sense nothing off about it. No Shadows or anything of the like, so in theory, its safe."**

"Then I guess we'll take them with us. Imoto, Junpei, you two carry the cases," Minato ordered.

"Sweet! I call the cash!" Junpei held the briefcase close to his chest, fatigue overwritten by glee.

"Come on, let's go," Minato shook his head, forcing back a laugh.

* * *

After meeting up with Mitsuru downstairs, Minato decided to do a quick experiment. He went over to that golden clock near the stairs and took a closer look at it. In front of the clock, he noticed that a pad was there to step on and that there was a slot to put yen in. Not only that, there was a card swipe for credit cards as well.

"Well, I'll be. Apparently, there's a slot for cash and a thing to use credit cards with," Minato smirked.

"Really?" Hamuko asked as she approached. "Why on earth would that be?"

"Well, Jester said she didn't know why the clock was here, but I'm going to assume that she added the payment system," Minato mused.

"Wanna see if it works?" Hamuko suggested.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt. But I think I should try it first, just to be safe," Minato offered.

"Okay, aniki," Hamuko nodded as she stepped back.

Minato stepped on the pad, wondering what would happen next. The clock face suddenly switched from classic to digital and was randomly flying through numbers. After a few moments, a message appeared on the clock face.

_**"Fifteen hundred yen for full recovery,"**_ Minato read the message. "Heh. Cheaper than I thought it would be."

"So, how ya gonna pay, aniki? Cash or credit?" Hamuko asked.

"I say let's go with credit," Minato suggested. "That way, we can track the charges and maybe learn a thing or two."

"Sure thing," Hamuko agreed.

Minato whipped out his wallet and pulled a card from it. He then swiped the card in the slot, waiting for the clock to do its thing. After a moment, a bell rang inside the clock and a new message appeared.

_**"Payment accepted. Please wait one moment,"**_ Minato read the message aloud.

As he stood there, a green light shot up from the pad he was standing on, engulfing him.

"Aniki!" Hamuko shouted as the others ran over there, worried about him.

"I'm okay," Minato assured her as the light faded away.

"Minato, you okay?" Junpei asked.

"I feel great, actually," Minato smiled as he looked at the clock face once more.

_**"Healing complete. Have a nice day,"**_ the message read.

"Wait, so you're fully healed now?" Yukari asked.

Minato took a look at the screen on his wristband and saw that his HP and SP were back to maximum.

"Yup. Apparently, Jester wasn't lying about that," Minato answered.

"Are you feeling any negative effects? A burning sensation, a headache, or anything of the sort?" Mitsuru asked.

"Nope," Minato shook his head. "None whatsoever. Hey, sempai. Why haven't you used this thing before?"

"To be honest, Arisato, I wasn't sure what the clock would do, so Akihiko and I stayed away from it, just to be safe," Mitsuru replied.

"Makes sense, but now that we know it can heal, we should use this whenever we can," said Minato.

"Agreed," Mitsuru nodded.

"Oh, and sempai, apparently this thing takes credit cards," Minato informed her.

"This thing takes credit?" Yukari raised an eyebrow.

"Apparently," Minato replied. "So I used a credit card to pay."

"Smart thinking, Arisato. We can track the charges and maybe learn something about this Jester character," Mitsuru complimented him. "Still, that power of hers…"

"Yeah. If she can summon Pokémon, who knows what else she can summon?" Minato asked.

"There's that, and also… her power raises a couple of question. If her thoughts can be physically manifested, why didn't she summon something that could kill us in a single strike, such as a bomb or a plague?" Mitsuru wondered.

"That's a good question," Hamuko acknowledged.

"Don't you recall what she said?" Minato interjected. "She said 'Let's play a game'. She was toying with us. She probably could've killed us if she really wanted to, but I don't think that's her goal."

"We've also got to take in the possibility that maybe she couldn't. I can't imagine someone having that kind of power without some form of drawback to it," said Mitsuru.

"Who knows? All I know is that she's an enemy," Yukari gave her opinion.

"I'm just completely lost," Junpei added his two cents.

"Let's get out of here. Today's been quite a day," Minato suggested.

"I agree. All right, everyone. Pack it up and move out," Mitsuru ordered.

* * *

The next day, during school, Minato was asleep hard, exhausted from last night's events. He was having an interesting dream. Minato found himself visiting a circus. He sat there in the stand, a bag of popcorn in hand. He saw that Jester was the ringleader and the Shadows were the animals used in her acts. Junpei, Kenji, and Ikutsuki were clowns, while Mitsuru was a lion tamer. Igor was a magician, while Elizabeth was his assistant. Akihiko was riding a motorcycle inside a metal ball cage. And Yukari and Hamuko were trapeze artists, somersaulting through the air with ease.

"You know, this is one dream I can enjoy," Minato smiled as he ate some popcorn from his bag.

"WAKE UP!" he heard someone shout, followed by a loud BANG!

Minato immediately shot up, finding himself awake. Standing in front of him was Toriumi, holding a ruler menacingly. The students were filing out, which meant class had ended for the day.

"Honestly, Minato-kun, why must you constantly sleep during class? You're way too much like your father in that regard. Thank goodness that you get good grades, unlike him," Toriumi shook her head in mock disgust.

"Heh. Sorry, sensei," Minato smiled.

"I suggest you get your energy levels up so you can stay awake. How about you and Hamuko-chan join one of the sports teams here? I just heard that five of the teams have open slots for both guys and girls," Toriumi informed him.

"Really now?" Minato was interested. _'A sports team would help me keep in shape for Tartarus.' _"Which teams are open?"

"The Track, Kendo, Swim, Tennis, and Volleyball teams are all open right now," said Toriumi. "Any of those catch your interest?"

"Well, yeah. I think one might. How do I go about getting Hamuko and I signed up?" Minato asked.

"They're signing people up at the gym. You know where that is, right?" Toriumi asked.

"Of course I do," Minato nodded.

"That's good. Now I expect you to follow through, or else. Got it?" Toriumi glared at her student.

"Got it, daibo!" Minato quickly replied and ran out to find Hamuko.

* * *

And our chapter comes to a close. Next chapter, we join a sports team!

Anyways, I hope you guys like Jester and that you don't mind the Pokémon cameos. She'll be around for some time to come and you'll NEVER know when she'll show up.

_**Green Midnight Dictionary:**_

**Jester:** An OC I specifically made for this story. Her past is mysterious and clouded. The best way to describe her is if you were to take Deadpool, Harley Quinn, and Dimentio, and combine them into one person. You'll be seeing her periodically.

**Soma:** In Eastern Mythology, Soma was a drink derived from a mysterious plant. The drink itself was said to be a god. The recipe for Soma has been lost to time, but people still search for it. In Persona 3, Soma is a rare item that fully restores the party's HP and SP.

**Minato's Persona Leveling System:** In Green Midnight, when Minato gains experience, ALL his Personas gain the experience, not just the one currently equipped. The Growth 1, 2, and 3 skill would add additional experience to that specific Persona that has said skill(s).

And because I'm sure people are wondering where the team stands, well, here you go:

_**Minato:**_

**Arcana:** Fool

**Lv:** 7

**HP:** 120

**SP:** 84

**Personas: **Orpheus (Lv. 7), Apsaras (Lv. 7), Pixie (Lv. 6), Angel (Lv. 5)

**Skills: **Orpheus- Bash, Agi, Tarunda

Apsaras- Bufu, Posumudi, Sukunda

Pixie- Dia, Rakunda, Pulinpa

Angel- Garu, Patra, Sukukaja

_**Hamuko:**_

**Arcana:** Hermit

**Lv:** 7

**HP:** 118

**SP:** 87

**Persona:** Eurydice

**Skills:** Bash, Bufu, Rakunda

_**Yukari:**_

**Arcana: **Lovers_**  
**_

**Lv:** 7

**HP: **104

**SP:** 92

**Persona:** Io

**Skills:** Dia, Chardi, Garu

_**Junpei:**_

**Arcana:** Magician

**Lv:** 7

**HP:** 135

**SP:** 68

**Persona:** Hermes

**Skills:** Cleave, Agi, Re Patra

And, I'm sure you're wondering about where Minato stands with Social Links. Here you go:

**Fool-** SEES/Rank: 2

**Magician-** Kenji/Rank: 1

**Empress-** Mitsuru/Rank: 1

**Lovers-** Yukari/Rank: 2

**Tower-** Junpei/Rank: 1


	11. Chapter 11: Sports

Welcome to a new chapter of Green Midnight!

…Wow. This is the largest amount of reviews I've gotten for a single chapter so far. Is it due to rising popularity, the introduction of my OC Jester, or the Pokémon cameos? Well, regardless, this has me pumped! Time to address the reviews!

ravenwingcorps: I wasn't aware there was a 'Jester' in Devil May Cry. Well, at least mine's a girl. Yes, it will be refreshing, especially since I'll be introducing one of those new Social Links this chapter.

Oblivionkey99: While I was inspired by HG/SS to actually go through with it, I was planning this with Jester since the beginning. Yeah, I'm into Pokémon; a quick visit and browse through my YouTube channel proves that.

NightmareSyndrom: Ah, you caught the Team Rocket reference, did you? For those who didn't, here's the line: "Surrender now or prepare to fight." That's the last line in the original Team Rocket motto. And, yes, Jester is one effed up clown.

Grayjack72: You think that's crazy? Wait until you see what else Jester throws at S.E.E.S. later on.

DrTempo: Oooh. That's funny. I just might do that by using Aigis as the one shooting.

Patcheresu: You do? What does it smell like? Hope it smells good!

Echo the Ethereal Swordmaster: Thank you! Oh, I'm aware of Black and White; I go to Bulbapedia (the wiki to go to for all things Pokémon) every day. Who knows what else Jester can summon? Well, I do. Trust me, it will be epic. And I rather like the circus dream.

Brandon Skyblade: You're welcome. XD I, too, felt that the menus need to be incorporated somehow. I did suggest that you use Pokémon music, remember? Oh, the HG/SS trainer theme? Johto or Kanto? Yes, Dimentio is from Super Paper Mario. And, yes, all three combined to make Jester requires a HELL YEAH. Wheaties and Soma? Not sure how that'd taste. Also, I'll have a more detailed profile of Jester at the end of the chapter. And, since there's a small battle in this chapter, get Mass Destruction or Wiping All Out ready.

mangafreak7793: The leveling system reminds you of Devil Survivor? Hm… I guess it does. Didn't notice that when I came up with it. I seriously doubt you'll see Digimon, but odds are you'll see various creatures/monsters from various video games.

IStartedTheFire22: Don't worry; I know what I'm doing. What I'm planning is for each block to have a different motif for Jester to use. Thebel gets Pokémon and Arqa would get something just as fun. Other blocks get other groups of cameos and stuff. And I may go back to Pokémon, or whatever I think necessary, as the story demands. And you don't need to worry about Jester holding back; her next appearance is bound to throw you all for a loop. I would classify Jester as a Fool and I'm going to have a lot of fun with her. Yes, Hamuko is the Hermit. If you've been paying attention, you'll have noticed that Hamuko has been randomly dispensing pieces of wisdom, a trait of those associated with the Hermit. No, the Master is NOT the Reaper, although I had considered that. Who the Master is will throw you for a loop as well. Well, I guess I can say this: Yes, Akihiko and Shinjiro will be Star and Moon, just like P3P. I will also confirm that Koromaru and Ken will have Social Links as well; I won't say just yet which links they are, though. And thank you.

Yamato Shinji: I wish I could claim that the healing station was my idea, but its not. In Persona 3 Portable, instead of healing every time you return to the ground floor, you have to use the clock to heal now, and it costs money. However, it was my idea to have Jester be the one that receives payment.

SpecialAgentOrange: What do you mean about the Lovers S. Link? It should've been reversed where? I hadn't planned on reversing any links right now. Once all foundations had been set, then we'll see.

Fan of Fanfics21: Hey! That was supposed to be a secret! Eh, oh well. You'll see more of it soon enough.

Well, here we go. Today, we get to learn which team Minato and Hamuko joins and some plot development as well!

**In-Game Date:** April 23, 2009

* * *

**Chapter 11:** _**Sports**_

Minato quickly tracked down Hamuko and the two went to the gym to get signed up for a sports team. Once there, they found booths for the five open teams. "So, aniki, any team catch your interest?" Hamuko asked. "Personally, I think you're going for the Kendo team, am I right?"

"No," Minato shook his head. "I only use swords for protecting and defending, not for sport."

"I see. Well, then which team has your interest?" Hamuko curiously asked.

"The tennis team," Minato nodded. "All that swinging would be good for my sword arm, the hand-eye coordination would be good for helping with aiming spells, and all the running will help with endurance. Besides, its fun."

"You've thought this through, haven't you?" Hamuko quirked an eyebrow.

"I have. So, which team are you gunning for?" Minato asked.

"Personally, I have no preference, so I'll go for the tennis team as well, so that we can stick together," Hamuko smiled.

"That's fine with me," Minato replied. "Shall we get signed up?" As the twins approached the booth for the Tennis team, they heard a familiar voice call out to them.

"Minato! Hamuko-san! Over here!" a voice called them.

_'Wait… Is that Kenji?'_ Minato recognized the voice. Sure enough, at the tennis booth, Kenji was there, signing people up.

"Kenji! What's up?" Minato called out as he and Hamuko approached.

"Signing people up for the tennis team. I didn't tell you I was on this team, was I?" Kenji answered.

"No, I don't think you did," Minato shook his head.

"Ah, sorry about that. Anyways, what are you two doing here?" Kenji wondered.

"My aniki and I are interested in joining the Tennis team, Kenji-kun!" Hamuko announced.

"Wow, really?" Kenji smiled. "Are you sure, though? I promise you that training will not be easy."

"You sure you wanna join the Tennis team, aniki?" Hamuko asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Minato confirmed his answer. "Besides, what better team to join than a team with a familiar face?"

"Haha, that's true," Kenji laughed. "Excellent. All you need to do is sign up on this sheet here and then we'll take you for tryouts. Pass, and you're on the team." Kenji handed Minato a pen, an eager look on his face. Minato signed his name on the sheet and Hamuko followed. "Perfect," Kenji looked over their signatures. "Now, you'll need to go to the tennis courts. Once there, you'll be told what to do."

"Gotcha," Minato replied.

"Now, I'll have someone take you there," said Kenji. "Hey, Yuko-san!"

A tanned girl that was sitting nearby stood up. She was dressed in a grey and red tracksuit. She had shoulder-length black hair that was tied up in a bun, gentle brown eyes, and a lazy disposition about her.

"What is it, Kenji?" the girl asked.

"Yuko-san, you recall me telling you about the Arisato twins, right? Well this is them," Kenji motioned to Minato and Hamuko.

"Oh, so you're Minato-san and Hamuko-san?" the girl asked.

"That is correct," said Minato.

"Kenji's said some nice stuff, particularly about you, Minato-san," the tanned girl said.

"Oh? What's he been saying?" Minato quirked an eyebrow. _'If it's anything about me and Yukari-chan, someone's in trouble.'_

"That you were a nice guy and someone I should get to know, should I get the chance," Yuko replied.

"Isn't that nice of Kenji-kun to say such nice things about you aniki?" Hamuko smiled as Kenji slightly blushed.

"Thanks, Kenji," Minato nodded.

"Anyways, I should introduce myself. My name is Nishiwaki Yuko and I'm the team manager for the Tennis team. Nice to meet you both," the girl introduced herself. "You're both juniors, right? Since we're in the same year, you can just call me Yuko-san."

"I don't care what you call me, but Minato-kun will suffice," Minato replied.

"It's always been Hamuko-chan with me," Hamuko added.

"Okay then Minato-kun, Hamuko-chan," Yuko smiled. "So, since you two are here, I take it you're interested in joining the Tennis team?"

"We are and Kenji's already signed us up," said Minato.

"Well, good job, Kenji. Rio-chan's gonna be proud of you," Yuko smirked.

"Who's Rio?" Minato asked.

"She's my best friend," Kenji told them. "We've been best friends since kindergarten."

"I see," Minato nodded. "That's cool."

"So, Yuko-san, if you'd be so kind, would you please take them to the tennis court for tryouts?" Kenji requested.

"Okay, Kenji," Yuko nodded. "If you two would follow me, we can get your tryouts done and over with. Oh, by the way, you two need your gym uniforms for practice. Should you get in, we'll have actual uniforms ready for you by first practice."

"Sure thing; we'll need a few minutes to get changed," Hamuko replied.

"That's fine. I'll be waiting in front of the gym for you guys," said Yuko.

* * *

Minato and Hamuko found themselves on the tennis courts with Yuko, clad in white T-shirts and black shorts. There were a few people on the tennis courts, but two in particular stood out.

One was a tall, tanned man. He had short black hair and a look of determination on his face. His partner was equally determined. She had long black hair tied in a bun and was quite beautiful. However, their most distinguishing features were their eyes; their eyes burned with a passion that only great athletes possessed.

Minato noticed that the groups of people at the tennis court were looking at these two with either looks of awe or jealousy. _'From the way those two are being looked, I'm guessing they're the best players here,'_ Minato observed. _'Are they demonstrating and exhibiting?'_

"Well, this is it. You ready to try out?" Yuko asked.

"I'm ready!" Hamuo pumped her fist.

"Bring it," Minato smirked.

"Okay then. This is how tryouts work: we have people try out two at a time in a single game against a team in a doubles match. Who wins isn't important; it's how well you play and how well you work with your partner that determines if you get in. Needless to say, if you do win your game, it's almost assured you'll be let in," Yuko explained.

"That's cool. So, who is our opponent?" Minato asked.

"Simple: Those two standing on the court right now," Yuko pointed to the pair who were the center of attention.

_'Testing how well players are by pitting them against the best ones… Most would rather bench their best, keeping them for the big stuff. Nice change of pace; should make things interesting,'_ Minato noted.

"So, when do we go?" Hamuko asked.

"Since they're not playing anyone, I'm guessing right now," Yuko deduced. "Here, I'll introduce you guys. Hey, Kaz! Rio!"

"Yuko? What's up?" the male called out as Yuko lead the twins over to the pair at the center of attention.

_'The guy's on a first name basis with Yuko-san. Her brother? Or maybe he's her boyfriend?'_ Minato observed. _'And the other one's Rio? Is that the same Rio mentioned earlier?'_

"These two are trying out for the team. These are the Arisato twins," Yuko introduced them.

"You're Minato-san and Hamkuo-san? Nice to meet you; Kenji's been talking about you," the girl greeted them.

"Really now?" Minato asked.

"Yeah. He was talking about how you two came here with Takeba Yukari the first day of school and he was also talking about how you have been getting some one-on-one time with Takeba," the guy explained. "However, he's been oddly mum on the subject recently."

_'Well, at least Kenji's keeping himself in check now,'_ Minato sighed in relief. "Honestly, I've just hung out with Yukari-chan a couple of times. She's not my girlfriend."

"That's fine. But I think you should know that there's a betting pool going around at school about whether you two have hooked up, and if not, when you actually will," the guy warned. "If you must know, I have you pegged for sometime during summer vacation."

"Aniki! What on earth? I thought you said there's nothing going on between you two, and yet there's a betting pool!" Hamuko fussed at him. "Did you lie to me?"

"Hamuko, I didn't lie to you," Minato raised his hands up in defense.

"Calm down, Hamuko-san. Takeba is the second most popular girl in school, only succeeded by Kirijo herself. It's only natural that the school would be naturally and rabidly curious about it," the girl frowned. "Still doesn't make it any less sickening."

"I just hope I don't get any of those fangirls," Minato sighed.

"Oh, yes, I've seen those fangirls of Sanada-sempai. Heaven help you if you get some," Yuko gave her sympathy. "Anyways, I need to get back to Kenji-san. Best of luck you two."

"Thank you, Yuko-san," Minato said.

"When we get in, let's hang out!" Hamuko vowed.

"If you get in, sure, why not?" Yuko smiled. "Well, don't smoke them too hard, Kaz and Rio-chan."

"We'll see," the guy chuckled as Yuko left.

"Oh, I don't believe we've introduced ourselves yet. The name's Iwasaki Rio," the girl introduced herself.

"And I'm Miyamoto Kazushi, but you can call me Kaz," the boy introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you, Rio-san and Kazushi," Minato and Hamkuo shook their hands.

* * *

Everyone had gathered around the tennis court, eager to see the match. On one side of the court, Rio and Kazushi stood, looking particularly determined. On the other side, Minato and Hamuko were having a quick discussion.

"You ready, Hamuko?" Minato asked.

"I'm ready, but they look quite confident, aniki," Hamuko pointed out.

"True. Remember, we don't have to win; we just have to put a good show on for the coach," Minato reminded her.

"Yeah, but let's try to win, at least," Hamuko added.

"Okay. Let's do this," said Minato. The two took their positions on the court, ready to go. The coach stood outside the court, near the net.

"All right, let's keep this clean, okay?" the coach called out. "Remember, we're only playing a single game. Iwasaki, Miyamoto! You ready?"

"Yes!" the two players shouted.

"Arisatos! Are you ready?" the coach asked.

"Yes!" the twins replied.

"Excellent. The challengers will be serving for this match. And with that, let's begin!" the coach shouted.

Minato, at the back of the court, took a ball out of his back pocket. He took a quick glance over the court, observing everyone's positions. He also saw Hamuko look back at him. She gave him a quick wink and a smile before looking forward again.

"Well, here goes nothing," Minato took a deep breath as he threw the ball straight into the air.

"Take this!" he shouted as he hit the ball. The ball flew over the net and headed straight for Kazushi. Kazushi ran at the ball and smacked it with his racket hard. The ball breezed by the twins and the crowd behind them.

_'Holy shit!'_ Minato blinked. _'I didn't even see him return the ball! That took less time than it took me to blink! Damn, that's fast!' _He then looked over his shoulder to see the ball embedded in the chain-link fence, several yards behind the crowd._ 'My god! If he can do that, then he's a beast!'_ Minato's eyes widened.

"Ball hit the fence before anything else. Therefore, point to the challengers! Fifteen-Love!" the coach announced.

"Kaz!" Rio shouted. "Not so hard!"

"Heh. Sorry, Rio-chan," Kaz rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, watch it!" Rio shouted.

"Yes, ma'am!" Kaz quickly replied.

_'Damn, she's just as scary as Mitsuru-sempai!'_ Minato's eyes widened.

"Okay, let's do this for real now!" Kaz proclaimed.

"Well, ready or not, here we come!" Minato took hold of another tennis ball, primed to toss it into the air.

* * *

"And that's game!" the coach announced. "Winner: the tennis champs!"

"That was a good game," Kaz complimented the twins as he and Rio approached them.

"It was indeed. Although, if you hadn't of flubbed that first return and smacked that ball into the fence, you probably would've won a lot sooner," Minato replied.

"Well, if Rio hadn't got that last hit Hamuko-san made, you just might've won," Kaz admitted.

"Well, it was still a close game," Minato replied.

"True that," Kaz nodded.

"So, are we on the team?" Minato asked.

"Well, personally, I think you'll get in just fine. What do you think, Rio-chan?" Kaz asked.

"Hm… you two weren't half-bad for amateurs. With some practice, I think you could do this team some good," Rio smirked.

"Thanks, Rio-san," Minato smiled.

"The final decision rests with the coach, but between you and me, I think you'll both get in," Rio added. "The coach will post the new team roster in about a week or so."

"I can't wait!" Hamuko grinned.

"Neither can I." Minato added.

"Well, regardless of whether you get in or not, we should hang out some more," Kaz offered.

"If you're going to hanging around Kenji, then you'll definitely be seeing me around more often," Rio smirked.

"Awesome. I'm sure we'll have lots of fun together, both on and off the court," Hamuko said.

"Agreed," Minato nodded.

**SMASH!**

_'Oh, I guess I just made a Social Link,'_ Minato observed.

Time slowed and the world turned grey as two cards formed in the air. One had a simple design, having the picture of a solid blue chalice on it, while the other was more intricate; this other card had a pictured of an armored man in a chariot. Two sphinxes that were black and yellow were hauling this chariot. Beneath the picture was the Roman numeral for seven.

_'Another two Social Links?'_ Minato's eyes widened.

_**"Thou art I… and I am thou… Thou hast established a new bond. It brings thee closer to thy destiny. Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Chariot Arcana…"**_

The card with the chariot on it shattered, its light dissipating over Minato and Kazushi.

_**"Thou art I… and I am thou… Thou hast established a new bond. It brings thee closer to thy destiny. By forging a bond of the Cup Arcana, thou hast new options when dealing with the faces of possibility…"**_

_'Huh? What on earth does that mean?' _Minato wondered as the other card shattered, dissipating over himself and Rio. _'Maybe I should ask Igor about that.'_

"Well, we got more games to play today. Want to stick around? You might learn a thing or two." Kaz offered.

"Sure, why not?" Hamuko shrugged.

"Sounds like fun," Minato smirked.

* * *

"Welcome back," Mitsuru greeted the twins as they returned to the dorm.

"Good evening, sempai," said Hamuko.

"I heard from Toriumi-sensei that you two went to try out for a team today," said Mitsuru.

"We did. We tried out for the tennis team," Minato informed her.

"I see… then that means you've met Miyamoto and Iwasakai. They're two of Gekkoukan's best athletes," Mitsuru nodded.

"I know. Our tryout was to play a game against them," said Hamuko.

"What? You had to play them?" Mitsuru seemed surprised.

"We did. We didn't win, but we managed to impress," Minato smiled.

"I see…" Mitsuru nodded. "They must really be looking for talent if the Tennis team is sending their best out for tryouts."

"Most likely," Minato agreed.

"Do you play on a sports team, Mitsuru-sempai?" Hamuko asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do. I'm on the fencing team," Mitsuru announced.

"Really? That sounds like fun. You and I should have a friendly spar sometime, sempai. While I may not know fencing, I use a sword as well; it'd be interesting to compare fighting styles," Minato offered.

"Hm… perhaps," Mitsuru nodded. "Anyways, I wanted to tell the both of you something."

"What is it?" Hamuko asked.

"On the nights that we don't go to Tartarus, I'd like to do something called 'Shadow Watch'," Mitsuru announced.

"Shadow Watch? What's that?" Hamuko wondered.

"Simple. It's where we send a couple of members out into the streets during the Dark Hour to make sure the city is safe, and to protect anyone that might've gotten into the Dark Hour," Mitsuru explained. "Back when it was just Akihiko and I, he would go out alone and I would monitor from here. But now that we have several members, we can afford to send out a group of two or three."

"Makes sense," Minato agreed. "But what if not everyone's up to snuff? Someone could be exhausted and unable to perform their duty."

"Don't worry. We won't be doing this every night we don't go to Tartarus; the system here will monitor the city and alert us to any and all Shadow activity. The patrol is just merely a precaution. And, as field leader, you get to choose when we patrol and who goes on patrol. Also, unlike Tartarus, you do not have to be on the patrol, so long as there's about two or three going out there," Mitsuru answered.

_'So this Shadow Watch is to make sure the damage the Shadows do to the city is minimal. I can see why they'd do that,'_ thought Minato. "Okay, I think I get it," he said. "I'm assuming that the reason why you're bringing it up is because you want to get this started tonight?"

"Correct, Arisato. I wanted you two, Takeba, and myself to go out on patrol tonight; Akihiko will man the control room," Mitsuru admitted. "While patrolling, I was planning on teaching the three of you something useful."

"And why won't Junpei-kun be coming with us?" Hamuko asked.

"Looking at his academic records, if I am to teach him anything, I would need to have some… 'intense' one-on-one tutoring sessions with him," Mitsuru replied.

"I can't argue with you there, sempai," Minato chuckled.

"Make sure the both of you are ready to go when the Dark Hour arrives," Mitsuru ordered them.

"Gotcha," the twins replied.

* * *

As the Dark Hour blanketed the land, Mitsuru, Minato, Hamuko, and Yukari walked the bloodied streets of Iwatodai, weapons in hand. They were ready to encounter any attacks from the Shadow and rescue any civilians if needed._ 'This is the first time I've really explored the outside world during Green Midnight with a group. Back in the day, I was lucky if I had Hamuko with me. Now, with some others, it's not too bad,' _thought Minato.

**"How's everyone doin'?"** Akihiko asked over the radio.

"We're doing fine, Akihiko. No activity so far. Have the sensors picking up anything?" Mitsuru asked.

**"I've got one lone Shadow not too far from where you are,"** Akihiko replied.

"Got it. We'll take care of it immediately," said Mitsuru.

* * *

A couple of minutes later, the group came across the lone Shadow. It was a bird Shadow, just sitting there, staring at the coffins in the street.

"Minato, what should we do?" Hamuko asked.

"Well, it is being docile. Maybe we should let it be," he suggested.

"I would advise against that, Arisato. Even docile Shadows are a threat. They show no compassion, no heart; they exist only to destroy," Mitsuru warned him.

"Well, what do you suggest we do, sempai?" Minato asked.

"If I may, I'd like to take on this Shadow myself. I haven't fought since that night at the dorm, so I need a little practice. Also, this would be a fine opportunity for me to show you what I want you all to learn," Mitsuru offered.

"Are you sure, sempai?" Hamuko asked. "One Shadow can be difficult by yourself if you're not careful."

"I'm sure. And if I really am overestimating myself, I have you three to back me up," Mitsuru assured them.

_ 'Mitsuru is really confident she can do this. Should I indulge her?'_ Minato wondered. "What do you think, everyone?" he asked.

"I say let her go," Hamuko said. "Besides, we'll be here."

"I don't care," Yukari shrugged.

"Well, Mitsuru-sempai, go at it. We'll be here," Minato assured her.

"Thank you, Arisato," Mitsuru nodded as she readied her rapier. "Watch and observe." Mitsuru rushed forward, rapier in one hand and Evoker in the other.

"She's so full of herself," Yukari lamented.

"Perhaps; but if she's capable of teaching us something, then perhaps maybe she's earned that," Hamuko shrugged.

"Shh… Let's watch," Minato hushed them.

While Minato was hushing them, Mitsuru had reached the bird Shadow.

"You will submit to me!" Mitsuru shouted as she put her Evoker to her head. "Penthesilea!" Mitsuru pulled the trigger to her Evoker, causing her Persona to appear.

Mitsuru's Persona appeared above her in a flash of blue light. It was clad in blue and grey. It wore silver and light blue armor on its torso. It also had on white boots and a helmet with a crown on it. A white ascot adorned its neck. In its hands were two swords. One was a thin long sword not unlike a rapier; the other was short and wide, like an elongated dagger.

"Bufu!" Mitsuru shouted as Penthesilea swung one of its swords, firing a shard of ice at the bird. The Shadow dodged the shard of ice and flew right at Mitsuru. Mitsuru nonchalantly stepped to the side, dodging the attack. The bird quickly turned around and fired a Garu spell at Mitsuru; she just calmly jumped back to avoid the wind. The Shadow flew at Mitsuru again, claws aimed for her neck. As it flew, Mitsuru just ducked, avoiding the claws altogether.

"How on earth is she avoiding all those attacks!?" Yukari gasped as Mitsuru used her rapier to parry the bird's claws.

"Probably her power; remember, she said she could see the future," Hamuko reminded her, watching Mitsuru roll to avoid a barrage of feathers.

"She's probably seeing every move the Shadow will make before it even makes it, allowing her to plan out what to do next," Minato added.

"If that's so, then why hasn't she struck it down yet?" Yukari asked.

"She probably is waiting for the right moment to do so," Hamuko guessed.

_'What are you planning, sempai?'_ Minato wondered.

Mitsuru stepped to the side to avoid a dive from the Shadow. She then holstered her Evoker and stared her opponent down.

"Wait! Why is she putting her Evoker away!?" Yukari gasped.

"She probably has a plan," said Hamuko.

_ 'Are you about to show us something, sempai?'_ Minato wondered.

The Shadow lunged, its claws at Mitsuru, who used her rapier to block. It then flung its head forward, ready to wedge its beak into Mitsuru's skull.

"Sempai!" Hamuko and Yukari shouted.

"Noooo!" Minato yelled as he rushed forward.

** BANG!**

The Shadow's beak had collided with another rapier. However, this rapier was a translucent blue and looked like glass, yet was able to perfectly resist the Shadow's attack. At the same time, ice began crawling up the bird's beak, solidifying it.

"What the heck?" Minato gasped as he screeched to a halt.

"Begone!" Mitsuru shouted as she forced the Shadow back. Flinging her swords to her sides, she kicked the bird in its head, knocking it to the ground. She then rammed both her swords into the Shadow's throat, killing it in an instant. As the Shadow dissolved, the translucent rapier vanished as well.

"Holy crap, sempai! That was awesome!" Minato complimented her as he ran over to her.

"Where did that sword come from?" Hamuko asked as she and Yukari approached as well.

"That is simple, Arisato-kohai," Mitsuru smirked. "I made it myself."

"You made it yourself?" Yukari asked.

"Correct, Takeba," Mitsuru confirmed. "Observe." Mitsuru held her hand up and another translucent blue rapier appeared in her grasp.

"How on earth did you do that?" Hamuko asked. "Do you have Jester's power or something like that?"

"No, I do not. What I actually do is harness my Persona's abilities," Mitsuru explained. "What a Persona-user is able to do is harness their Persona's abilities and spells and even do elemental manipulation. My element is ice, so I use my Persona's abilities to create and shape ice, allowing me to form a rapier."

"So, you can you use your skills without using your Persona?" Hamuko asked.

"That is correct. There is a downside: Skills won't be quite as effective if you use them versus summoning your Persona to use them; however, passive skills are always equally effective, regardless of however you use them. The flipside of the trade-off is that you can use your skills outside the Dark Hour," Mitsuru explained.

_'Wait, what?'_ Minato's eyes widened. "Are you serious, sempai? We can use our Persona's skills during normal hours?"

"Yes. You can use all your physical, magical, and passive skills that your Persona, or in Arisato's case Personas, can use, as well as element manipulation. Very useful if someone is injured or if you find yourself in a pinch," said Mitsuru.

"I assume the same goes for our 'special abilities' as well?" Yukari asked, to which Mitsuru nodded.

"Well, that would explain how Akihiko-sempai was able to get away from his fangirls so fast the other day," Minato chuckled.

"He what?" Mitsuru cocked an eyebrow. "How many times I have told him? I said 'Akihiko, do NOT use your enhanced speed for something so petty as fleeing fangirls.' Sure, they're annoying, but they're harmless. I'm going to have a talk with him when we get back. Do you hear me, Akihiko!?"

**"Yes, ma'am,"** Akihiko sighed over radio, sound like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Sorry, Akihiko-sempai; didn't know," Minato apologized. "I'll treat ya to lunch to make up for it."

**"It's okay, but you might want to make that a week's worth due to what I'm going to endure later,"** said Akihiko.

_'Damn, is she THAT scary? Is she a freaking sadist?'_ Minato wondered. "Understood, sempai. Week's worth it is," he promised.

"So, Mitsuru-sempai, are you going to teach us how to harness our skills and abilities without our Personas?" Hamuko asked.

"I will, on one condition," said Mitsuru.

"And that condition is?" Minato asked.

"You tell me who this 'Igor' is," Mitsuru proclaimed, which caught the other three teens off guard.

_'What!? How in heaven's name does she know about THAT!?'_ Minato panicked.

"What are you talking about, Mitsuru-sempai?" Hamuko asked in an innocent tone.

"Don't play dumb with me, Aristato-kohai. I heard every last bit of that conversation Arisato and Takeba had during our first night in Tartarus. Now, if I recall, you mention some things about this Igor character, something called the 'Wild Card', something called Social Links, and something about 'making friends for power'," Mitsuru rattled off what she knew. "Now, would you kindly fill in the blanks for me, or do I need to force the answers out of you?" she pointed her rapier at Minato.

_'CRAP CRAP CRAP! I completely forgot all about that! I was so concerned about Yukari that I blabbed about everything to Mitsuru! Now what do I do?'_ Minato considered his options.

** "Minato, if you know something, I suggest telling Mitsuru now. If not, well… let's just say 'execution' won't be pretty,"** Akihiko warned him.

"EXECUTION!?" Minato, Hamuko, and Yukari shouted in shock.

_'She's gonna kill me?! Shit!'_ Minato's thoughts raced.

"I'm not going to kill you, if that's what you're thinking; however, I assure you that 'execution' will not pleasurable for ANY of you," she stared the team down.

"Us too!?" Yukari shouted at her sempai.

Hamuko turned to her brother. "Aniki, just tell her," she said.

"What? You sure?" Minato asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Hamuko nodded.

"Yukari-chan?" he looked over at her.

"Just do it," she huffed.

"All right, I'll talk, but on one condition: not a word of this goes to the Chairman, understand?" Minato stared down his sempai, even though he was scared shitless.

"Understood, Arisato," Mitsuru nodded. "Not a word to Ikutsuki. Akihiko, make sure he's not listening in."

**"Don't worry, Mitsuru, he's not here and the recording device is still broken from the attack,"** Akihiko replied.

"Good," she said as she faced the blue-haired Arisato. "Now, if you please…"

"Well, where do I start?" Minato mused. "Well, I suppose it started about a day before the dorm was attacked…"

* * *

"So, let me get this straight. You first met this Igor character in your dreams, in a place called the 'Velvet Room', where he informed you that you had made a contract with him via a young boy that you met the night you arrived at the dorm, yet no one noticed him. This contract states that, in exchange for accepting the consequences for all your actions, you will have his assistance. He then gave you a key that would allow you to return to that place. After the attack, you encountered him again in your dreams, where he informed you about 'Social Links', which is the bonds you form with the people around you and that the strength of your bonds directly influences your power of the Wild Card. At a later date, you informed your sister and Takeba about this, and they both somehow believed you. Then when we first arrived at Tartarus, you found the Velvet Room and encountered Igor again, where he informed you that the 'Wild Card' was the power to possess and use multiple Personas and some other information pertinent to your abilities. And then when we last went to Tartarus, his assistant modified your wristband to be better suited for you skills. And in the meantime, you've been forming Social Links, having already formed links with S.E.E.S., Iori, Takeba, Iwasaki, Miyamoto, Tokochika, and myself. And that each of these bonds is represented by one of the Major or Minor Arcana. Did I get it right?" Mitsuru summarized the information.

"Well, that's the nuts and bolts to it," Minato said.

"You do realize how ridiculous your story sound, right Arisato?" Mitsuru asked.

"I know; it sounds like something out of fiction," Minato sighed.

"I can understand your sister believing this story of yours, but I thought you were more sensible, Takeba," Mitsuru looked over to the pink-clad girl.

"I know, sempai. The story does sound ridiculous and crazy, and if anyone else told me that, I'd of laughed them off, but…" Yukari looked away bashfully. "I have faith in Minato-kun. Even though I still find his story kinda sketchy, he has my support."

"Yukari-chan…" Minato whispered.

"I see…" Mitsuru solemnly nodded. "Regardless, without some form of proof, I'm going to have to call your story crazy."

"And roaming around during midnight, when most people are coffins and you fight monsters by shooting yourself in the head isn't a crazy story as well?" Hamuko argued.

"Touché, Arisato-kohai," Mitsuru ran a hand through her hair. "However, that story is still unbelievable, even for me; I still need some proof to believe you."

"Well, what about my wristband? Like I said, Elizabeth-san altered it," Minato held up his arm.

"Very well. Let me take a look at it," Mitsuru ordered as she approached him. She gently placed her hands on the wristband and began to observe it.

**ZAP!**

A large jolt of electricity discharged from the wristband, shocking Minato and Mitsuru, knocking them both to the ground.

"Aniki!"

"Mitsuru-sempai!"

Hamuko rushed over to her brother as Yukari ran to Mitsuru's side.

**"Takeba! What's going on!?"** Akihiko shouted.

"I don't know! Mitsuru-sempai was inspecting Minato-kun's wristband when it suddenly discharged, getting them both!" Yukari informed him.

**"Are they okay!?"** he demanded to know.

"I'm… I'm okay, Akihiko," Mitsuru coughed as she struggled to her feet. "What about Arisato?"

"I'm okay…" Minato weakly replied as Hamuko supported him.

"Ugh… What the hell just happened?" Mitsuru held her head.

**"I think I can explain,"** a voice called out.

"Who said that?" Minato asked.

**"Please look at your wristband,"** the voice replied. Minato looked to his wristband to see that Elizabeth was on the screen.

"Elizabeth?" a surprised Minato gasped.

**"It's a pleasure to see you again. Now then, I assume you want to know why you just got shocked?"** Elizabeth asked.

"Yes, that would be good to know," Minato replied.

**"As you know, the modifications made to your wristband were made with my magic. However, this magic is beyond the comprehension of mortals and should its secrets fall into the wrong hands, well… I do not need to tell you what will happen. That is why there is a failsafe in the system. If anyone tries to tamper with or analyze your wristband, it will discharge approximately ten million volts of electricity. And I also added my own little touch to it as well, making sure that even Persona abilities would not be able to block the attack,"** Elizabeth explained.

_'TEN MILLION!? Isn't that a bit extreme!?' _Minato's eyes widended.

"Then that would be my fault. I attempted to use Penthesilea's abilites to analyze the wristband," Mitsuru admitted as she looked at Elizabeth on the screen.

**"Oh, so it was you?"** Elizabeth noticed Mitsuru. **"Ah, I recognize you. You're Minato-san's Empress link."**

"Empress link?" Mitsuru raised an eyebrow.

"Our bond, sempai," Minato clarified, to which Mitsuru nodded.

"Wait a second. You said ten million volts, right? That's lethal. How come Mitsuru-sempai and Minato-kun are not dead?" Yukari peered over Minato shoulder.

**"Ah, the Lovers link; a pleasure to meet you,"** Elizabeth greeted Yukari. **"To answer your question, the reason why they are not dead is because Minato-san is still wearing the wristband. Above all else, our task as members of the Velvet Room is to ensure the safety and vitality of its inhabitants and those who make contracts with us and to make sure that those who make contracts with us are able to fulfill them. Therefore, should Minato-san be wearing the wristband or be in contact with it when it is being hacked into, the voltage will be non-lethal, but still quite potent. You were lucky this time."**

"Well, while your method was kind of extreme, I thank you for thinking of me," said Minato.

**"Anytime,"** Elizabeth nodded. **"If that is all, then I will take my leave."**

"Hold on. I have a few questions for you," Mitsuru butted in. "Who are you? What is this Velvet Room? Who is Igor?"

**"Oh? Minato-san has been talking about us?**" Elizabeth asked.

"Um… is that a bad thing?" Minato asked, worry evident in his tone.

**"Not really. While secrecy was never part of the contract, discretion was usually implied. And then there is the fact that your contract states that you will accept responsibility for all your actions and their consequences. Do not worry; we will not seek retribution,"** Elizabeth assured him. **"We only ask that you choose wisely in who you decide to divulge this information to. As for you, Empress link, I am not at liberty to answer your questions. We do not divulge information to outsiders unnecessarily. If you want answers, then you will have to talk to Minato-san."**

**"But he's already told me everything he knows," **Mitsuru glared at Elizabeth. **"And that's not enough."**

**"Then I am afraid that is all you can know for now. As Minato-san learns more, he is free to inform you, if that is what he wishes,"** Elizabeth glared back.

"I cannot accept that," Mitsuru argued.

** "I am afraid that you must. If you try to press the issue farther, I will classify you as a threat to our guest and to the Velvet Room and take necessary action,"** Elizabeth warned her.

_'Damn! Both women have scary glares!'_ Minato's eyes widened.

"Mitsuru-sempai, just let it go; you already have plenty of information," Yukari advised her.

"I don't think this is a fight you'll win, sempai," Hamuko voiced her opinion.

**"Drop it, Mitsuru; we don't know what she's capable of,"** Akihiko agreed with the girls.

"…Very well. I'll let it go. However, the moment you learn something new, I am to be the first to be informed, Arisato," Mitsuru reluctantly complied.

"All right, sempai," Minato agreed.

**"Good. With that settled, I shall take my leave. And Minato-san, should I need to get you attention at a moment's notice, this will be my main form of communicating with you, so I advise you to keep your wristband with you at all items,"** Elizabeth advised him.

"Understood," said Minato.

**"Excellent. Then I shall leave you be. We shall be waiting for you in the Velvet Room," **Elizabeth faded from the screen.

"Well… that was interesting…" Minato sighed.

"Interesting!? You and sempai got shocked!" Hamuko yelled at her brother.

"Well, we're fine now, so don't worry about it," Minato assured her.

"All right…" Hamuko dropped the subject.

"So, Mitsuru-sempai, do you believe me now?" Minato turned his attention to his sempai.

Mitsuru sighed as she dusted herself off. "I suppose between the lightshow and that discussion I just had, I'm not left with a choice, am I?"

"I guess not," Minato chuckled. "Regardless, I apologize. I had no idea that would happen and I probably should've told you sooner."  
"It's not your fault, Arisato. My own aggressiveness and curiosity did me in this time. I should've just let you tell me on your own time, but I thought the information was necessary for S.E.E.S.," Mitsuru admitted. "For that, I apologize. I still with that woman would've given me something to work with, though."

"So, we're both sorry. So, how about we say all is forgiven and move on?" Minato extended his hand.

"Of course, Arisato," Mitsuru shook his hand.

** SMASH!**

_**"Thou shalt have our blessings when creating Personas of the Empress Arcana…"**_

"Arisato, what's with that look?" Mitsuru quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh, that's him forming or strengthening a Social Link. That, or he's in the Velvet Room," Hamuko replied.

"I see… So my bond with you has strengthened?" Mitsuru asked.

"Yes," Minato answered.

"Good," Mitsuru smirked. "Just remember, don't go abusing this bond or any of the others or I'll make you regret it."

"Get in line, sempai. Yukari-chan and Hamuko already have the first two shots at me," Minato replied.

"Damn right we do," Hamuko proclaimed, which made everyone laugh.

"So, sempai, you gonna teach us how to harness our Persona's skills and use elemental manipulation?" Yukari asked.

"Oh!" Mitsuru remembered. "Of course, Takeba. The first step is to learn how to harness your primary element."

"Primary element?" Hamuko asked.

"Correct. A Persona will correspond to one of seven elements: Fire, Ice, Electricity, Wind, Light, Dark, and Earth," Mitsuru explained.

_'Earth? But Mitsuru never mentioned Earth magic before,' Minato_ thought.

"So, if your Persona is skilled in Zio skills, it's electricity?" Hamuko asked.

"Yes, Arisato-kohai," Mitsuru confirmed.

"Then what would earth go with? I can kinda figure the rest, but earth is a mystery," Hamuko wondered.

"Simple. Earth manipulation would go with Physical skills," Mitsuru explained. "And if your Persona is skilled in more than one area, then you can possibly manipulate more than one element. Take Iori. He knows Agi and Physical skills. He will most likely learn how to harness fire and earth. Then take Arisato. With his powers, he could learn to manipulate all the elements to his will."

"Really? Wow," Minato whistled.

"And element manipulation will go a long way in teaching you how to do precise healing, if you possess Dia skills, like Takeba and myself," Mitsuru continued.

"That'd be quite useful for you, Yukari-chan," Minato noted.

"Yeah," Yukari nodded.

"So, what do we do?" Hamuko asked.

"Well, like I said, we first start by focusing on harnessing your primary element," said Mitsuru. "For Takeba, that's wind. For Arisato-kohai, that's ice, like me. As for you, Arisato, your main Persona is Orpheus, correct?"

"That is correct, sempai," Minato acknowledged.

"Then your primary element is fire," she informed him.

"Gotcha, sempai," Minato nodded.

"What you three will be working towards is this," Mitsuru held out her hand to show a small, perfectly round ball of ice in her hand. "Once you can form a perfect ball of your respective primary element in your hand, you'll be ready to use your skills without your Personas and learn other elements as well."

"Makes sense," Minato nodded.

"Sounds like it'll be hard," Hamuko remarked.

"It will be. It took me about three weeks to get that far. For you, who knows?" Mitsuru commented. "Now let's get started..."

* * *

And our chapter comes to a close. Quite a bit happened, eh? Yes, the group will learn elemental manipulation. Yes, Minato CAN learn how to use all seven elements, but WILL he? Doubtful. He ain't the Avatar. And, this is another step in my master plan of making badassery happen. Next chapter, we get more Links, more character development, and the appearance of a certain character…

_**Green Midnight Dictionary:**_

**Cup Arcana:** One of the four Minor Arcana. The element associated with it is water. Cups often deal with emotions and love. Iwasaki Rio and the bond she has with Minato is represented by this Arcana. In a deck of playing cards, hearts replaces the cup.

_**Jester's Complete Profile:**_

**Looks:** She has silver hair tied off in two long pigtails. She wears a black skintight jumpsuit that leaves little to the imagination. On the jumpsuit are pictures of all the Major and Minor Arcana. She wears elbow-length white gloves and knee-high white-heeled boots. Her face is completely covered by a white mask of a smiling face, symbolizing that she is of the Fool Arcana. On her head sits a white and black jester's cap with bells on it.

**Arcana:** Fool. No, she is NOT a Wild Card.

**Age:** Unknown. However, it is speculated that she is somewhere between 15 and 25, at least physically.

**Weapon:** With her powers, she could use any weapon, but she favor whips. Whips would be classified as Strike Attacks.

**Voice: **Asuna Kagurazaka from Negima (VA: Luci Christian)

**Themes: **_Normal Theme:_ Duke (Tales of Vesperia)

_Angry/Pre-Battle Theme:_ Unsatisfied Desire (Tales of Symphonia)

_Battle Theme:_ Deep Night (Devil Survivor)

**Powers:** She has both the abilities of a Shadow and a Persona-user. Her specific power allows her to make her thoughts reality. However, that power is limited. The more powerful the thing she creates, the more of her energy she must put into it. Also, she is unable to create sentience, revive the dead, or break the laws of nature and physics, in terms of Persona 3 and this story. Whatever she creates cannot have their inherent strengths and weaknesses altered. For example, if she were to summon Squirtle, she wouldn't be able to eliminate its weakness to electricity. Another example: if she were to summon Yuffie from Final Fantasy VII, the clone Yuffie would have all of Yuffie's strengths, skills, weaknesses, and so on. Jester could probably make the clone Yuffie say some stock phrases or Jester could speak through clone Yuffie, but it would have no sentience whatsoever; it is merely an extension of Jester.

**Personality:** To put it simply, take Harley Quinn's charm and quirkiness, Dimentio's eloquence and ambition, and Deadpool's crazy awesome and fictional awareness, and you get Jester. To be specific, Jester is a literal Wild Card in terms of personality. One moment, she's quirky and cute; the next, she's scary as hell. This gives her Tsundere-ish tendencies. You also can't quite predict what she's going to do. One moment, she's challenging S.E.E.S.; the next, she's helping them. One could get the sense that she's bi-polar, perhaps. That, or she's truly neutral and doesn't give a damn. Why? Well, that is her secret.


	12. Chapter 12: Weekend

Welcome to a new chapter of Green Midnight! I apologize for the delay. Life got in the way; in addition, I was writing a one-shot! It's a Devil Survivor story called 'His Decision.' If you like Devil Survivor, go check it out! Anyways, reviews! Ooo! I'm almost at 100 reviews! Awesome! I can't wait to reach it!

ravenwingcorps: Thanks. It would be so awesome if he would read this, but then I'd seem like an attention whore. At least I can take pleasure in that I've supplied him with his 'writing' music now and a couple other things. Elizabeth vs. Mitsuru would be epic. Ah, so that's DMC Jester? Nice.

Fan of Fanfics21: No, no. No musicals. YET. You'll see what I've planned.

NightmareSyndrom: Most likely. As for Jester, I've got plans regarding her. Will she be a Social Link? I'm not saying.

IStartedTheFire22: Yup. You'll most like see Pokémon references up until the Full Moon. After that, it should taper out and be used sparingly. Oh, I have plans for Hamuko's ultimate Persona. I already have it planned and everything. And Hamuko as Hermit makes me laugh as well. You're going to see Jester again this chapter, in addition to that character I mentioned. No, not Pharos or Naoko/Naoto. Someone VERY familiar to Persona 3 and 4 fans: my interpretation of a certain character.

Oblivionkey99: Yup. Elemental Manipulation. Tennis is a choice in P3P if you're Hamuko. Oh, and you're a Negima fan as well? Sweet. I love the manga and so does SamJaz. We both agree that Negi vs Rakan is EPIC WIN. And it's spelled Chachamaru.

DrTempo: Yes, FES is the best Persona fic EVAR. I know mine won't be as good, but I do hope to be just as popular. And you'll see if your theory is right in this chapter.

Echo the Ethereal Swordmanster: Saori? Maybe as a cameo or shout-out. No, I don't know about the artbook. You know where I can find it?

Brandon Skyblade: Like I said earlier, tennis was added in P3P. And sorry; you'll get your tennis match later on. Thanks; it won't be used every chapter, but I'll try to use Shadow Patrol when the plot or I call for it. Battle for Survival is nice, one of my favorites. Controls the twin… what? Mind finishing that for me? Yup, and you might see the Tera spell at some point as well. Dunno who'll use it, though. And I don't have problems with long reviews.

JRS74: I don't know when or if you'll get to this point. If you do, you'll notice that I lessened the Japanese starting around Chapter 5.

Ryder Tsukikage Ookami: Nice name you got there. Thank you. I like to make sure everything is explained well. Thanks for the comments on my plans with the Social Links. Heath Ledger Joker is win and so is Mark Hamill Joker. Oh, oh. You've been thinking about Jester, eh? Yes, she's part human. How that is, I'm not saying. She will eventually settle with a side, but how she gets there and what happens next is a secret. Oh, and it's Jester, not JESTER.

SpecialAgentOrange: I saved you for last since I got a two-part review from you. Anyways, Minato telling people about the Velvet Room is where I think you and I are going to fundamentally disagree, but I'm glad to see that you somewhat understand now. And feel free to keep calling me out on whatever you think I'm doing wrong. Many do not know this, but I was the one who called bullshit on Fairly English Story regarding Minato's romance with Yukari and a very spoileriffic event that occurred at the end of the Christmas arc in that story (fans of Fairly English Story will probably have a good idea of what I'm talking about). SamJaz confessed that he had completely mishandled the romance and I got him to change his explanation for the spoillerific event from little more than a handwave to something well-thought out and completely plausible. So, you see, calling us writers out actually does help. Elizabeth and Mitsuru's meeting was written specifically because you called me out; that, and I knew Mitsuru isn't the kind to buy or believe something without tangible proof. Now for your other questions. You can say Jester is representative of the Fool. No, she's not aware of the Velvet Room or the Social Links, but she is aware that something is going on regarding Minato and his power and she may call him out on that. The Tarot swatches on her outfit are nothing more than symbolism of her 'Wild Card' personality that I described. The 'Avatar' thing was nothing more than an analogy for Minato's powers. Don't worry, Avatar characters will NOT be appearing in this story; cameos are limited to video games and perhaps some manga/anime. As for the Thebel chapter, if Minato had said the wrong thing, the link would've definitely gotten reversed, but he chose the right words, and that satisfied Yukari. For now.

…Phew! That was a lot to get through! Anyways, time for the chapter! We've got a lot to get through today! Links, development, and you're going to meet Jester's partner! Cue some chase music (like Shadow)! Enjoy!

**In-Game Date:** April 24, 2009

* * *

**Chapter 12:** _**Weekend**_

The next day, Minato and Hamuko were walking to school. While walking, they were practicing how to harness their element. "Man, trying to harness your element and forming it into a ball is hard work!" Hamuko complained as she held out her hand; in it was something akin to a miniature glacier.

"At least you've got ice, which isn't so bad. Try controlling fire," Minato argued as the fire in his hand randomly flared up.

"True, but it's not as bad as Yukari-chan. She constantly cut up her hands last night. Wind power is deadly," Hamuko lamented.

"Agreed. But it'll all be worth it once we learn how to not only control elements, but use our skills outside the Dark Hour," Minato smirked.

"I know! I can make snow cones whenever I want!" Hamuko smiled.

"And I can cook a hot dog in a flash!" Minato chuckled as the two continued on their way.

* * *

That night, they returned to the dorm, where they found Yukari and Mitsuru in the lounge; Mitsuru was coaching Yukari in controlling her wind element. "Hey, you guys," Yukari greeted them. "Have you two joined any clubs?"

"We have; we're on the tennis team," Hamuko informed her.

"Oh? That's the team Kaz and Rio are on! They're some of the school's best athletes!" Yukari remarked. "I heard they were actually testing out the new recruits."

"They were. And they are very good. We managed to put up a fight, but they beat us good," said Minato.

"I guess they live up to their reputation then," Yukari nodded. "By the way, I think we ought to go to Tartarus tonight. With all the Lost, I think we should do anything we can to help. Plus, I didn't have practice today, so I could use the exercise."

"Hm… Personally, I think the three of us should practice our control today. At the same time, we can send Mitsuru-sempai and Junpei on Shadow Patrol. That way, she can get that one-on-one time she wanted," Minato suggested.

"Oh…" Yukari looked away, disappointed.

"But don't worry; we'll go tomorrow for sure," he added.

"Okay then," Yukari nodded.

"Good plan, Arisato. I'll be sure to inform Iori of tonight's events. Make sure Akihiko is near you so he can heal you, just in case," Mitsuru advised them.

* * *

The next morning, as Minato and Hamuko were approaching Gekkoukan, they overheard a couple of students talking. "Oh hey, you know the bookstore at the strip mall? Isn't their grand reopening today?" one student asked.

"Huh? A bookstore?" the other student was puzzled.

"Yeah, leave Iwatodai Station, go straight for a while, and it's after you cross the crosswalk," the first student detailed. "We've been at this school for a while... You should explore more often!"

"Yeah, maybe I should," the second student whispered as they walked away.

"Oooh! A bookstore! Can we go check it out, aniki! I need my manga fix! I still haven't gotten the latest volume of Hayate no Gotoku!" Hamuko pleaded.

"I don't get what you see in that manga," Minato shook his head. "It's goofy and weird, like Love Hina or the first part of Negima."

"Oh, please. You read Negima religiously, you yuri fanboy you," Hamuko teased. "You just wanna see that swordswoman get together with her friend."

"I'll have you know that I think Konoka and Setsuna are a legitimate couple," Minato argued. "The fact that they're girls is just superficial."

"Yeah, right. You just wanna see two girls get in on," Hamuko brushed off the argument.

"Says the one who scans EVERY SINGLE EPISODE of Code Geass for hints of a Lelouch/Suzaku pairing, you yaoi fangirl you," Minato scoffed.

"Hey, I think those two are perfect for each other, thank you very much!" Hamuko crossed her arms across her chest.

"Well, at least we can agree on one thing, right imoto?" Minato smirked.

"Yeah… Edwin and Royai for the win?" Hamuko smiled.

"Edwin and Royai for the win," Minato happily sighed.

* * *

During lunch, Minato and Yukari wandered the halls of Gekkoukan, munching on sandwiches. Their walk led them to the outdoor walkway that went to the gym. "So, there was this one time when Junpei and this other guy were acting out a scene from Romeo and Juliet, with Junpei playing the role of Juliet. He thought that, for it to be more authentic, he should get on top of a file cabinet, because they were acting out the balcony scene," Yukari was telling a story. "About five minutes in, the cabinet buckled and Stupei landed flat on his face!"

"Hahahaha!" Minato laughed. "What would possess him to do that?"

"Honestly? I think I'm better off not knowing," Yukari shook her head.

"Yeah," Minato agreed. As they continued walking, Minato noticed a small tree just off the path. The leaves had just opened up for spring and possessed a lot of vitality and beauty. "Wow, that's a nice tree," Minato remarked.

"Oh, you mean that persimmon tree? That's been here for a while now. I forget why they planted that," Yukari informed him.

"I see…" Minato approached the tree and saw a couple of leaves had fallen to the ground. _'Ah. Naoko-chan would love these.'_

Yukari saw Minato pocket a few of the fallen leaves. "Minato-kun, what are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm pocketing these leaves for Naoko-chan. She loves to collect flowers and leaves and press them. Other than reading detective novels and Detective Conan, it's her favorite hobby," Minato explained.

"Aw, that's nice of you," Yukari smiled. "I used to press flowers as well. You're going to need to keep those leaves in good condition until you get them to her."

"I'll be sure to do so," Minato assured her.

* * *

After school, the twins found themselves at Iwatodai Station, in front of one of its many stores. "Bookworms…" Minato read the sign above the door. "Nice name."

"Come on, aniki! I want my Hayate-kun!" Hamuko yanked his arm, and dragged Minato into the store, where the sight inside amazed them. Piles upon piles of books lined the walls of the store. There were easily a few thousand books in the store.

_ 'Holy crap! This place looks just like the family library after Naoko tears through it!'_ Minato observed.

"Wow," Hamuko whistled. "Look at all the books."

"I know; there's probably as many books here as there are in the family library," Minato remarked.

"Then that means they'd have an excellent selection!" Hamuko pumped her fists. As the walked further into the store, they spotted two people at a counter. They were an elderly couple, seemingly the owners of the store. The woman was giving them a kind smile, while the old man had a blank look on his face. Suddenly, the old man snapped to attention, having noticed the Arisatos.

"Welcome to Bookworms! How many guests? Smoking or non-smoking?" he greeted them.

_'Huh, what? Shouldn't he be in one of those special homes?'_ Minato raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, please forgive my husband. Sometimes, he's not entirely here," the woman apologized. "Please, feel free to look around. If you need anything, please let me know."

"Thank you," Minato bowed. "We shall help ourselves."

"No, thank you," the old woman bowed back.

* * *

After looking around for a while, the two were walking up to the counter, ready to pay for their books. "I didn't know this was a used bookstore," Minato remarked as he looked over his good. "But the good news is that I found this AWESOME book on fortune-telling, specifically Tarot cards. Learning about the Major and Minor Arcana will be quite useful with 'that' matter."

"I'm sad that I couldn't find my Hayate-kun, but I'm extremely happy that I found a complete set of Maison Ikkoku! I've wanted to read that for ages! It's from the same person who wrote Inuyasha!" Hamuko hugged the manga set to her chest.

"Let's get this all paid for and get back to the dorm. I want to get some rest before tonight's adventure," Minato pulled out his wallet, causing one of the leaves that he obtained earlier to fall out.

"Aniki, you dropped a leaf. Is that for Naoko?" Hamuko asked.

"Yup. This came from that one small tree near the gym," Minato picked it up. The old man behind the counter noticed that Minato was holding a leaf.

"Hm… Excuse me, but can I see that leaf in your hand?" he asked.

"This leaf?" Minato held it up. "Well, I got a couple more, so I don't mind," Minato handed the leaf over.

The old man took the leaf and examined it for a moment. "Would this happen to be a leaf from that persimmon tree?" he asked.

"If you're referring to that one small tree that's outside the gymnasium at Gekkoukan, then yes," said Minato.

"It must've grown quite a bit to produce such splendid leaves…" the man softly smiled. "Wait, so you didn't come here to buy books? Did you come here just to show us this?" he handed the leaf to the old woman.

"Wait, what? Um… no. We came here to check this place out. I just happened to have the leaf for someone I know who collects that kind of stuff," Minato explained.

"I don't believe you," the old man shook his head.

_'Yeah, I think he's off his rocker,'_ Minato thought.

"I knew right from the start that you're a kind young man!" the old man smiled.

"Um… Yeah…" Minato awkwardly replied. _'Okay… this is getting kinda weird…'_

"I've been meaning to go see that tree for awhile now, but I'm not sure if these stumpy old legs will make it that far…" the man lamented. "That wasn't meant to be a pun. You know, 'stumpy,' 'tree stump'. Catch my drift?"

"Very clever, dear," the old lady chuckled.

_'Make it stop. PLEASE,'_ Minato groaned.

"Allow me to introduce us. This is my wife Mitsuko," the man pointed to the old woman. "I'm Bunkichi. If you don't mind, would you tell us your names?"

"I'm Arisato Hamuko and this is my brother Minato," Hamuko replied.

"So, your names are Minato and Hamuko, eh? Then we'll call you Hamuko-chan and Minato-chan!" Bunkichi laughed.

**SMASH!**

_'What?' _Once more, time stopped and color faded as a card materialized mid-air. _'Oh, mother of pearl! Don't do this to me, supernatural forces!'_ Minato card had a picture of a single yellow coin on it.

_**"Thou art I… and I am thou… Thou hast established a new bond. It brings thee closer to thy destiny. By forging a bond of the Coin Arcana, thou hast new options when dealing with the faces of possibility…"**_

_'…Crap…' _The card exploded and its blue light dissipated over Minato and the old couple._ 'Well, maybe it won't be quite as bad as I fear,'_ Minato attempted to assure himself. _'I hope.'

* * *

_

"Dude, this element training is exhausting!" Junpei complained as he, Minato, and their companions explored the halls of Tartarus.

"You think you have it bad? If it weren't for Dia skills, I wouldn't have hands anymore!" Yukari argued with Junpei. "I've gotten countless cuts on them since I started!"

"Yeah, well, you didn't accidentally light your butt on fire!" Junpei shouted.

"Well, that brings a new meaning to the phrase 'Liar, liar, pants on fire,'" Hamuko laughed, electing a chuckle from Minato.

"Okay, okay. That's enough, everyone. Let's focus on exploring and training. I don't want to be caught off guard by Jester again," Minato ordered.

"All right," Yukari sighed.

"Sempai, how much further do we have to go?" Minato asked.

**"You're currently on the seventh floor. The barrier is still quite a ways away. However, I sense three powerful presences on the tenth floor, most likely Shadows. Be ready for anything,"** Mitsuru warned them.

"Understood, sempai," Minato replied. "Okay, let's keep going. I want us to keep going up, but we are NOT to engage the enemies on the tenth floor or, if we run into her, Jester." Everyone nodded, acknowledging the orders. Before they could move, two Shadows materialized.

"On your guard!" Minato shouted as everyone readied Evokers and weapons. The Shadows lunged forward, forcing everyone to scatter.

"Hermes!" Junpei shouted as his Persona sliced at one of the Shadows.

Yukari followed up by firing two arrows, striking the Shadow's black body. Hamuko ran up to the Shadow, slicing it with her weapon. She then twisted her body and slashed upwards. Pressing the attack, she jumped forward, twisting her body and throwing her full weight into another slash; the last attack cleaved the Shadow in half, killing it.

Minato was facing down the second Shadow alone. The Shadow fired an Agi spell at Minato, forcing him to dodge. It repeatedly fired more Agis, putting him on the defensive.

"Bufu!" Minato summoned Asparas, who fired a shard of ice at the Shadow. The spell hit right on, knocking it back. Minato then took the opportunity to finish it off. "Orpheus!" Minato called forth his Persona. Orpheus struck the Shadow with its lyre at full strength, causing it to splatter.

"Good, it's defeated…" Minato happily.

Just then, three cards appeared in front of Minato. One had the picture of Asparas, but two were brand new to him. The second card had a coin on it and the other card had a cup on in.

_'Wait a moment… Those are the cards that appeared when I linked with the old couple and Rio-san! Is that what the creepy message meant? Then… what would happen if I choose one of them?'_ Minato wondered.

Minato reached for the card with the coin on it and seized it. The card then became longer and more flexible.

_'What?'_ Minato felt the card change. He opened his hand to find a thousand-yen note in his hand. "HOLY CRAP! CASH!" Minato exclaimed. _'Maybe hanging with the old couple won't be so bad!'_

"What! Where!" Junpei's head violently whipped around.

"I just found some cash! That Shadow must've dropped it," Minato answered.

"Sweet! Maybe I'll get lucky and find some yen as well!" Junpei grinned as he began looking around, dragging Yukari along for the ride. Hamuko took the opportunity to approach him.

"…That's not how you found it, right?" Hamuko whispered.

"Nope. The cards that I get my Personas from appeared, and there were new cards there; they were that of the Cup and the Coin," Minato explained.

"You mean the Minor Arcana?" Hamuko asked.

"Yeah," Minato nodded. "I grabbed the coin card and it transformed into cash."

"What? Really?" Hamuko gasped. "But how can that happen?"

"I don't know. Maybe it comes from all that money that the Shadows have gathered?" Minato shrugged.

"Maybe. But then, what does the Cup do?" Hamuko wondered.

"Honestly? I dunno. What are your thoughts, Mitsuru-sempai?" Minato asked.

**"Well, from what little I know about the Minor Arcana, the Cup Arcana is associated with the element of water. And water is traditionally associated with healing. Perhaps seizing one of the Cup cards might invoke some rudimentary form of healing,"** Mitsuru theorized. **"I suggest that the next chance you get, try to grab a Cup card and see what happens."**

"I'll do what I can, sempai," Minato complied with the orders.

* * *

The next day was Sunday, so Minato had the day off. He wandered into the dorm lounge to find Akihiko polishing his boxing gloves. "Morning, Akihiko-sempai," Minato greeted him as he sat down.

"Good morning," Akihiko greeted back. "How are you?"

"I'm doing fine. I see you're polishing your boxing gloves," Minato observed.

"Right. Even though I'm still unable to fight, I like to still keep my weapons in shape," said Akihiko.

"So, do you still train?" Minato asked.

"I tried to train once. Mitsuru caught me," Akihiko sighed.

"Wow…" Minato whistled. "You have my sympathies. She's one scary woman."

"I wouldn't let her hear that if I were you," Akihiko warned. "However, I completely agree with you." Both boys softly chuckled at the jab at Mitsuru.

"So, even though you can't physically train, do you at least still practice with your spells and stuff?" Minato asked.

"I do," Akihiko held out his hand, producing a perfect ball of electricity. "I'm not about to let EVERYTHING fall out from under me. So, how's your training coming along, Arisato?"

"Not too well, sempai," Minato held out his hand, showing a ball of fire with random spikes covering it. "It looks more like a mace than a ball."

"Seems like you could use some help," Akihiko observed the ball.

"I could. Do you have anything planned for today?" Minato asked.

"Not really. Mitsuru's off with the Chairman; they're doing school-related stuff. Junpei's with his friends," Akihiko recalled.

"Imoto is hanging out with this one girl, Saroi, I think her name was. And Yukari-chan's meeting up with the Archery team," Minato added. "As for me, I've got no plans."

"Want to do some training, then?" Akihiko asked.

* * *

"I though you said we were going to train!" Minato yelled as he found himself bouncing around the rooftop of the dorm.

"We are! I'm training in using Zio without my Persona while you train your dodging skills!" Akihiko held out his left hand, firing lightning bolts at the Arisato.

"This is madness!" Minato yelled as he narrowed dodged a strike.

"Madness? THIS! IS! TRAINING!"

"I'm gonna DIE!"

* * *

"Sempai, you are crazy!" an exhausted Minato lied on the rooftop.

"I like putting my all into training, that's all," Akihiko laid beside him, equally exhausted.

"I'm just lucky that you ran out of SP, or I might have become a lightning rod," Minato panted. "You're a beast, you know that?"

"I have to get stronger, so I always go all out," Akihiko answered.

"While I respect that, I don't appreciate my life being used as a stepping stone for your goal," said Minato.

"I apologize. When I train, I just get so into it, I sometimes forget myself," Akihiko bitterly chuckled.

"I understand, Akihiko-sempai. Just be careful, okay? All the power in the world is not going to do you any good if you don't have the smarts to back it up." Minato glanced at the boxer.

"I understand, Minato. The best fighter isn't necessarily the strongest," Akihiko nodded.

"All right, Sempai, for the hell you brought me through, you're buying me lunch!" Minato proclaimed.

"Heh. It's the least I can do, I guess," Akihiko shrugged.

* * *

At Hagakure, Minato and were having a discussion while eating some ramen. "So, sempai, do you have any suggestions on how to train my elemental powers?" Minato asked.

"Actually, I do have something that could help. I suggest that you try using your powers in a more practical sense," Akihiko advised him.

"A more practical sense? What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said; use them for rudimentary tasks. For me, I practiced using my powers every morning by powering a toaster to make me breakfast. I would often screw up, burning the toast, or undercooking it. However, it did severely improve my control," Akihiko explained.

"Seriously?" a confused Minato asked.

"Seriously; Mitsuru did a similar thing, except she used hers to make ice cream, and pretty darn good ice cream at that. When she makes another batch, you should have some," said Akihiko.

"Oh, I will," Minato nodded. "So, use my powers practically? Well, maybe that idea about me cooking hot dogs and Hamuko making snow cones isn't such a bad idea…"

"That could work," Akihiko agreed. "Give it a try."

"Thanks for the idea, sempai," Minato smiled. "Hopefully, this'll help."

"Yeah. And I can't wait to be back on the front lines. Watching from afar is rather annoying," Akihiko scoffed.

"Tell ya what. As thanks for the tip, when you're back on the front lines, I'll let you take on as many Shadows as you want, okay?" Minato offered.

"Thanks, but Mitsuru would probably have my head if I rush in all gung-ho," Akihiko laughed. "But thanks anyways."

**SMASH!**

_'Another Social Link? Heavens, I'm on fire!' _A new card floated above the two fighters. It had a picture of a five-pointed star on it and the Roman numeral for seventeen below it.

_**"Thou art I… and I am thou… Thou hast established a new bond. It brings thee closer to thy destiny. Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Star Arcana…"**_

"You know, now that I think about it, I think I have an idea as to how not only I, but the others, can practice as well," Minato evilly smiled.

"Oh?" Akihko cocked his head.

"Yup, and here's what's gonna happen…"

* * *

Junpei was on his way back to the dorm after a long day with the guys. He was tired and ready for bed. As he approached the front door, he could've sworn he heard snickering. "Why would someone be snickering?" Junpei wondered aloud. "Maybe I'm just that tired…" As he yawned, he reached for the door and opened it. On the other side of the door stood Hamuko and Akihiko, holding large pails.

"Oh, hey guys. What's up?" Junpei greeted them.

"Forgive us, Junpei, but this is for training," Akihiko replied.

"Training? What are you talking…. AH! COLD! COLD!" Akihiko and Hamuko had thrown the contents of their pails, ice water, at Junpei, and he got completely doused. "W-W-What was th-that f-f-for!" Junpei shouted though chattering teeth.

"Training. Hamuko used her powers to chill these buckets of water to near freezing," Akihiko nonchalantly explained.

"B-B-But wh-why g-get m-me wet!" Junpei was struggling to warm himself up.

"So the others could get some training," Hamuko replied as she and Akihiko stepped aside, revealing Minato and Yukari standing there.

"Now, Junpei, I suggest you stay still so we lessen the chance of hurting you," Minato summoned fire into his hands.

"Yeah. Last thing we want is for you to get hurt," Yukari grasped the wind in her fists.

"Ah, c-c-crap!"

* * *

Monday morning came along, and Minato found himself, along with his sister, friends, and classmates back in the auditorium. "What's the deal with this assembly?" Yukari asked. "You think it's about the recent incidents?"

"What incidents?" Hamuko asked.

"Haven't you been watching the news? Apathy Syndrome is on the rise," Yukari informed her.

"Ooo, that's bad," Hamuko winced.

"I know. We may know what's causing it, but we have no clue how to cure or prevent it," Minato sighed.

"Who cares? The Principal doesn't know anything about the Shadows, anyway. I just hope this doesn't take too long…" Junpei sighed.

"I know," Yukari agreed. "His speeches always drag."

"Ugh…" Minato groaned. "I've had enough speeches. If you need me, I'm going to listen to some songs from Super Smash Brothers."

"Same here," Hamuko threw on her headphones.

* * *

After the long-winded speech, everyone returned to class for lunch. As they were eating lunch, the door swung open and Mitsuru walked in. "Hey. What does sempai want?" Junpei wondered aloud. Mitsuru approached Minato and looked him straight in the eye.

"Arisato, I'm sorry, but I need to talk to you and your sister after school. I have a special request for the both of you," Mitsuru whipped her hair out of her face.

"A special request? What's the request?" Minato asked.

"I apologize. I'm in a rush, so I don't have time to explain right now," Mitsuru sighed. "That, and I don't feel comfortable asking anyone else. I'll tell you both everything after school, okay?"

"All right, Mitsuru-sempai," Minato nodded.

"Thank you. Au revoir," Mitsuru quickly turned around and left.

"So, what did she want?" Hamuko went up to her brother.

"She wants to see you and me after school about something, imoto," Minato informed her. "What that thing is, I honestly don't have a clue. I just hope it isn't something weird."

* * *

School had ended and the classroom had emptied, leaving only the Arisato twins as the only occupants of Classroom 2-F. "Man, school ended thirty minutes ago and she is still not here! I wanna go; I'm hungry!" Hamuko whined.

"Yeah, I would think Mitsuru-sempai would be punctual. Wonder what's keeping her," Minato mused. "Anyways, let's wait five more minutes. If she doesn't show up, we'll leave; I'm sure she'll understand." Right on cue, the door swung open and Mitsuru walked in.

"Oh, you two are still here?" Mitsuru was shocked. "I must admit, I'm pleasantly surprised. Thank you."

"You're lucky. Hamuko was about to make me leave because she's hungry," Minato chuckled.

"Hey!" Hamuko shouted.

"I apologize for that as well. Anyways, to make a long story short, I want the both of you to join Student Council," Mitsuru admitted.

"What? Student Council?" Minato asked. "With S.E.E.S., school, and the tennis team, Hamuko and I already pretty busy as is. With Student Council, we risk being overwhelmed."

"Well, it's not like you have to participate in every activity. Just come to Student Council when you have the time," Mitsuru assured them.

"That's it?" Minato questioned.

"Yes, that's it. I just want the both of you to join," Mitsuru crossed her arms. "Being President of the Student Council is very time consuming. Add in my other duties to S.E.E.S., the Kirijo Group, and everything else, and I'm surprised that I have any free time. I'd like to have additional help available in the event of an emergency. Akihiko already helps me out whenever he can, but I'd like even more help. You understand my situation; I'm asking you since you know what it's like to be a leader."

"What about Junpei-kun and Yukari-chan?" Hamuko asked.

"I thought that Iori was a slacker, but to my complete surprise, he's on the baseball team and they have the most extensive schedule out of all the sports teams," said Mitsuru.

"The baseball team? You serious?" a shocked Minato asked.

"I'm serious," Mitsuru nodded.

"Well… that explains his fighting style…" Minato frowned.

"And Takeba's too busy with Archery. Anyways, would you two like to join Student Council?" Mitsuru asked.

"I wouldn't mind, aniki," said Hamuko.

"I guess we can do so," Minato nodded.

"Thank you. I knew I could count on you," Mitsuru smiled. "I've already made an appointment for you two with the faculty advisor, but you'll have to go to the Faculty Office on your own."

"That's fine. Is it okay if I go just by myself?" Minato asked. "You can take Hamuko with you."

"That's fine with me," Mitsuru nodded. "Besides, you said she's hungry, right? Well, we're serving pizza, so…"

"I'm there!" Hamuko jumped out of her seat.

"Okay," Minato snickered. "I'll meet you both at Student Council afterwards.

* * *

Downstairs, Minato entered the Faculty Office to find it empty except for one person. Toriumi was in a corner of the room, on a laptop. "Hey, daibo!" Minato called out.

"Go! Use Agi! Agi! Agi!" she chanted.

_'Wait, what? Agi? But why would she be calling out our Personas' fire spell?'_

"Hey!" Minato shouted.

"Waah!" Toriumi fell out of her chair.

"Still into online gaming, aren't you?" Minato chuckled.

"Minato-kun! Don't scare me like that," Toriumi got up and dusted herself off. "Why are you here, anyways?"

"I came here to see the faculty advisor for the Student Council; Mitsuru-sempai signed me and Hamuko up," Minato explained.

"Ah, yes, I remember. I'm the faculty advisor for the Student Council and Kirijo's already informed me about the situation," Toriumi recalled. "I figured you two would want to join, so I already took care of everything."

"Thanks, daibo. So, what game were you just playing?" Minato asked.

"Oh, I was playing this MMORPG called 'Devil Summoner'. It takes place in the 1920's. You are a member of the Kuzunoha clan and you are helping to protect the country from demons," Toriumi explained.

"Wait, what?" Minato's eyes widened. "The Kuzunoha clan? MY clan?"

"Apparently. From what I could tell, a distant relative of yours decided to see some of the stories and legends that have been passed down the Kuzunoha lineage to some gaming company in exchange for royalties," she informed him.

"WHAT!" Minato shouted. "You're joking! There's no way the masses would interested in those weird stories."

"Three million players say otherwise," Toriumi chuckled. "Everyone loves a good story."

"You serious?" Minato stared his teacher down.

"Serious. The game's crazy popular," she replied.

"Well, I'll be," Minato sighed. "And why exactly were you shouting 'Agi' for?"

"Oh, Agi's one of the spells in the game. It's a fire spell," said Toriumi.

_'What. How on earth can that be? That's just like with my Persona!'_

"And there's other spells like Bufu and Zio! And your demons at your disposal will use these spells to vanquish your enemies!" Toriumi rambled on.

_'Bufu and Zio as well! And while I do recall something about 'demons' in the family stories, I don't recall them specifically using those spells,'_ Minato cataloged the information. _'Just what exactly is this game?'_

"Daibo, do you know where exactly I can get this game?" Minato asked. "I'm kinda curious about it, especially to see how faithful they were to the stories."

"I know exactly where. Yakushiji-san had received several copies of the game as part of the deal that Kuzunoha made with the game developers. He sent me three copies: one for me, and the others for you and Hamuko," Toriumi reached into her bag and pulled out two CD cases. "When you get a chance, check it out, okay?"

"Oh, I will," Minato took the cases. _'Now I'm curious. Is my brain just filling in blanks or is there some sort of connection betweens the Kuzunohas and Green Midnight?'

* * *

_

After being given directions by Toriumi, Minato made his way to the Student Council room, where he found Mitsuru, Hamuko, and several other students eating pizza and discussing various activities. "Ah, there you are, Arisato. I assume everything's been settled?" Mitsuru greeted him.

"They have, Mitsuru-sempai," Minato nodded.

"Excellent. Everyone! Can I have your attention?" Mitsuru got the attention of the Council. "Good. You've already met Hamuko-san. This is her brother, Arisato Minato; he's the one I've been talking about the past few days. He'll be joining us in Student Council as well."

_ 'She's been talking about me? Should I be flattered?'_ Minato wondered. "Thank you, sempai. I hope to make everyone here proud," he bowed. Just then, one of the students approached Minato. He had slicked back hair, a disgruntled look on his face, and wore a yellow armband.

_'A yellow armband? Then he's a member of the Disciplinary Committee. Let's hope he's not a stick in the mud,'_ he thought.

"Minato-kun, huh?" the boy put a hand to his chin, looking over Minato.

_'Oh, great. He's sizing me up. Please don't tell me he's the distaff counterpart of Mitsuru,'_ Minato mentally sighed. "Um…" Minato was broken out of his train of thought by a meek, feminine voice. Standing next to the guy sizing up Minato was a frail, shy, and reserved-looking girl. She had long brown hair and wore square-rimmed glasses.

"Can I help you?" Minato cocked his head to the side.

"Oh!" the girl jumped. "Um… I'm Fushimi Chihiro, the Treasurer," she introduced herself.

"A pleasure to meet you, Chihiro-san," Minato held out his hand.

"Um… same here," Chihiro shakily shook his hand. "I'm only a first year and… um, I'm still learning the ropes, so… please be patient with me, Minato-sempai."

_ 'The girl has some MAJOR confidence issues. Hopefully imoto can fix that.'_

"Relax, Chihiro-san; I'm not going to bite your head off. Just take it easy and do the best you can. Hamuko, Mitsuru-sempai, the others, and me will help you in any way we can," Minato assured her.

"Th-thank you," Chihiro blushed.

"Hm…" the boy with the slicked-back hair cleared his throat. "I see. From what the President has told me and from what I just witnessed, you're quite talented. No wonder she hand-picked you. I'm Odagiri Hidetoshi; I supervise the Disciplinary Committee."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hidetoshi-san. I'll do my best to help lighten your workload," Minato bowed.

"…I would certainly hope so," Hidetoshi stared Minato down.

_'Holy crap! He IS Mitsuru's distaff counterpart! He's got her stare!'_

**SMASH!**

_ 'Huh? What? Oh, don't tell me…'_A card appeared in the air. It had the picture of a silhouetted king standing tall. Below the picture was the Roman numeral for four.

_**"Thou art I… and I am thou… Thou hast established a new bond. It brings thee closer to thy destiny. Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Emperor Arcana…"**_

_'Well, I'm definitely on a roll with these Social Links. I've got, like, how many now? Fool, Magician, Empress, Lovers, Chariot, Tower, Star, Cup, Coin, and now Emperor… Geez… This is why I hate having so many friends; gotta juggle them all. But I'll try my best; these people I made these bonds with are now my friends and I wouldn't dare leave them in the dust.'

* * *

_

That night, the team returned to Tartarus once more to explored its demented halls. After making up several floors, Minato had the group remain on the eighth floor for training. "Minato-kun, we've been here for awhile now. Shouldn't we at least move on?" Yukari asked.

"I don't mind; I'm kicking a lot of Shadow ass!" Junpei voiced his opinion.

"Not yet. Mitsuru said there's Shadows waiting for us on the tenth floor. I want to make sure we're absolutely ready for anything, especially if Jester shows up," Minato replied.

_**"Did someone say my name-o?"**_

"CRAP!"

_**"You know what? You hanging around on this floor for the last ten minutes has been AB-SO-LUTE-LY BOR-ING!"**_ Jester lamented as a portal of darkness appeared in front of S.E.E.S.

"Get ready, everyone!" Minato and company assumed fighting positions. "She's coming!"

_**"Oh, it's not me you have to worry about. Because I like to keep things interesting, I'm instituting a new rule: If you guys hang out on one of the floors where Shadows roam for too long, I'm going to be sending a… 'Special Surprise'. Of course, the ground floor, the floors with two-way transporters, and the barrier floors are still safe zones, so you can hang out there as long as you want, but anywhere else is fair game,"**_ Jester explained.

"And what exactly is this… 'Special Surprise'?" Minato asked.

_**"Oh, just my partner; when you take too long, he's going to play cat and mouse with you. I HIGHLY ADVISE you to get to either the stairs or a transporter should he appear or you're gonna die,"**_ Jester warned. "_**Here, why don't you meet him?"**_

The portal glitched and a figure floated out of the portal of darkness. It was a large, looming figure, clad in a black overcoat stained in blood. It appeared to have no legs, and stood by levitating. Across its torso, two chains wrapped around it, forming an 'X'; in its hands, it held two revolvers with barrels the size of Minato's katana. However, the figure's most intimidating feature was its head. Its head was completely wrapped in blood-soaked bandages, save for one large, yellow blood-shot eye that was staring the group down.

"YOU!" Hamuko shouted, primal rage causing her body to shake.

_**"I want you all to meet the Reaper. He's my buddy and FAR MORE POWERFUL than I am. And, unlike me, he will not toy around or be nice; he'll just outright kill you, ku, ku, ku,"**_ Jester chuckled.

**"EVERYONE! THAT SHADOW'S POWER IS IMMEASUREABLE! GET OUT OF THERE NOW!"** Mitsuru ordered.

"NO!" Hamuko charged at the Reaper. She slashed at it with her naginata, slashing through its coat. "Take this!" she shouted as she whipped out her Evoker and summoned Eurydice. Eurydice fired a Bufu spell at the Reaper, knocking it back.

"Heh, not so tough, are you?" Hamuko sneered at her opponent.

_**"You really have no clue what you're fucking with here, do you?"**_ Jester's voice was laced with disgust.

The Reaper rolled its shoulders, shaking off the attack. The slash in its coat mended itself and disappeared, like it had never been damaged. "WHAT!" Everyone was shocked.

_**"Oh, Reaper… Why don't you show them a thing or two?"**_ Jester ordered.

The Reaper raised one of its revolvers and pointed it right at Hamuko. _**"AgIdYnE…"**_ it whispered as it pulled the trigger. A blast of flames shot out from the barrel, striking Hamuko down.

"Hamuko!" Minato shouted as she fell to the ground.

**"GET! OUT! NOW!"** Mitsuru ordered.

"Everyone, retreat!" Minato ordered.

Junpei and Yukari quickly turned faced and ran while Minato ran over to Hamuko to pick her up bridal style.

_**"I'm giving you to the count of ten. After that, the fun really begins,"**_ Jester warned. _**"One…"**_

"Crap!" Minato cursed as he ran to catch up with Junpei and Yukari, the unconscious Hamuko in his arms.

* * *

"Shit! Where's the way out!" Junpei panicked, looking for an escape from the Reaper.

"I don't know!" Yukari looked around as they ran.

"Keep looking!" Minato shouted.

_**"Nine…"**_

"Sempai, anything!" Minato demanded to know.

**"There's a staircase nearby. Hurry!"** Mitsuru warned them.

_**"Ten! Let the games begin! Ku, ku, ku!"**_ Jester's voice cackled around them.

The rattling of chains echoed through the halls of Tartarus, sending the three remaining members of Tartarus into a frenzy. "Move! Now!" Minato ordered.

"I see the stairs!" Junpei pointed out.

"Hurry up!" Yukari shouted.

**"The Reaper is near! Keep moving!"** Mitsuru shouted from the radios.

The team made a dive for the room with the stairs, landing on top of them. Not ten seconds later, the Reaper appeared in front of the room. Minato, Junpei, and Yukari stood in front of the injured Hamuko, ready to defend her with their lives.

"All right, you bastard! If you want us, come and get us! But I promise you this! I'll drag you down to hell with me!" Minato pointed his sword at the Reaper. The Reaper just floated in front of them, not making a move. Its single yellow eye stared down the teenagers, one person in particular.

"Is… Is it staring at me?" Yukari wondered as her hands quaked holding her bow.

"Okay, I think that's enough now, Reaper; they get it. You may go," Jester ordered as she appeared from behind him. The Reaper nodded at Jester, acknowledging the orders. It then looked at S.E.E.S. one last time before disappearing into a portal of darkness.

"You…" Minato growled.

"Why are you mad at me for?" Jester held up her hands. "If anything, this is all your fault, Bangs."

"My fault!" Minato's grip on his sword tightened. "You dare call my sister being incinerated by your damn lap dog MY FAULT!"

"Well, of course," Jester brushed off Minato's anger. "You're the one who insisted on level grinding on this floor instead of exploring the tower. If you just spend all the Dark Hour on one floor, you accomplish nothing, and things stagnate and get boring for both me and the Shadows. And if there's one thing I hate, its being bored."

"So, you did all this because you were bored!" Yukari stepped up.

"Partly; mainly, it was to teach you all a lesson; that lesson being that being over prepared only accomplishes in getting a whole lot of nothing done. And that 'nothing' WILL bite you in the butt. Not that planning and preparing in itself is a bad thing, mind you; there has to be a balance between the two. Too much planning gets nothing done, while blindly rushing in gets you all killed. A good leader must strive to find the balance," she lectured the group.

"…" Minato just stared down the clown.

**"…She has a point, Arisato,"** Mitsuru sighed.

"…Dammit…" Minato huffed as he forcibly looked away from Jester.

"Looks like you've learned your lesson. Now, I suggest you hurry up and get that girl some attention," Jester advised them. "But be warned: if you hang out too long on a Shadow-infested floor, then my buddy comes out to play."

"Dammit, is this all just some game to you!" Junpei yelled.

"…Yes. Yes it is, ku, ku, ku," Jester chuckled before disappearing around the corner. Minato just stood there, no sign of emotion on his face.

"…Minato-kun?" Yukari called out to him.

"…Let's find the transporter on the next floor and get out of here. I'll carry Hamuko. Yukari-chan, start healing her as we move; Junpei, you're going to be our guard," Minato ordered.

The others silently nodded as Minato picked up his sister.

* * *

"Ugh…"

"She's coming around."

"Ugh… I'm hungry… Can I have some taokayaki?"

"Heh, even when like this, she's still herself. That's good." Hamuko opened her eyes to find that she was sitting on the ground, her back to a golden clock. Mitsuru, Akihiko, Yukari, Junpei, and Minato all stood around her.

"Oh, hey guys…" she whispered.

"Hamuko! I'm so glad you're okay!" Minato hugged her.

"You had us worried there for a moment," Yukari wagged her finger. "But you're okay now, so I'm happy."

"Ugh… my head…" Hamuko held her head.

"Take it easy," Akihiko advised her.

"What happened?" she asked.

"What happened was that you disobeyed a direct order from me and attacked the enemy blindly. If not for Arisato's intervention, the fact that Jester was playing around, and a huge dose of luck, you all would be dead," Mitsuru glared the younger girl down.

"I…" Hamuko looked away.

"Hamuko, why exactly did you do that?" Minato asked. "It's not like you to go all gung-ho; that's Junpei's job."

"Hey!" Junpei huffed, electing a random assortment of chuckles.

"I… I'm sorry," Hamuko sighed. "It's just that…"

"That what?" Mitsuru questioned.

"It was… HIM…" Hamuko cried into Minato's shoulder.

_'Him? What is Hamuko talking about? The Reaper? But why would she go berserk on him, especially since he had giant guns on him; Hamuko fears guns.'_ Minato tried to figure it out. _'Unless… Wait a second… Reaper… Giant Guns… NO!'_

"OH SHIT!" Minato realized what had happened.

"Arisato?" Mitsuru called out.

"I just realized something. The reason why imoto went crazy was that… it was HIM…" Minato admitted.

"Him who?" Junpei asked.

"HIM. The Reaper. The same Reaper that killed our parents," Minato began to shed tears as well.

"WHAT!"

"You mean THAT'S the bastard that took them out!" Junpei realized.

"Y-Yes…" Hamuko's muffled replied croaked out.

"…Shit…" Junpei frowned.

"I'm sorry…" Mitsuru turned her head away, somewhat ashamed that she had gotten mad at Hamuko.

"It… It's going to be okay, Hamuko-chan, Minato-kun," Yukari assured them.

"I… I hope so…" Minato sighed.

* * *

And end. So, in case you didn't notice, the Reaper is who I was talking about. What do you guys think? Like how I did him? Anyways, if you had been paying attention, I had alluded in Chapter 5 that this Reaper was the one who killed Jouhei and Nagi, which was confirmed just now. How will the twins handle the Reaper and Jester? Well, you'll see soon enough. Next chapter, we get some online gaming and a boss battle!

_**Green Midnight Dictionary:**_

**Hayate no Gotoku:** You may know of it by its other name: 'Hayate the Combat Butler'. Written by Kenjiro Hata. This is Hamuko's favorite manga and she ships Hayate/Maria. A must read, especially if you love Fourth Wall destruction.

**Negima:** Also known as 'Mahou Sensei Negima', written by Ken Akamatsu (writer of Love Hina and AI Love You). This is Minato's favorite manga. As mentioned, he ships KonoSetsu (Konoka/Setsuna). He also ships Kotaro/Natsumi, and doesn't really care whom Negi ends up with. A must read if you love shonen and/or harem comedies. Or if you love Fairly English Story.

**Code Geass:** A extremely popular anime that Hamuko watches. She ships Lelouch/Suzaku RELIGIOUSLY. Personally, I don't really care about it.

**Edwin/Royai:** Two popular pairings from 'Full Metal Alchemist', written by the brilliant Hiromu Arakawa. They are specifically Edward/Winry and Roy/Riza. Minato and Hamuko jointly read this manga and love every second of it and ship both pairings mentioned. A DEFINITE must read.

**Detective Conan:** Also known as 'Case Closed', written by Gosho Aoyama. Naoto's favorite manga. She doesn't read it for shipping, entertainment, the story, or anything of the sort; she reads it for 'training' and to see how Shinichi/Jimmy solves cases, so she claims. A fun read.

**Maison Ikkoku:** A brilliant manga written by Rumiko Takahashi. (writer of Ranma 1/2 and Inuyasha) It is described as a love story that can take place in the real world. Hamuko has been wanting to read this particular series for ages. A must read if you can find it.

**Coin Arcana:** One of the four Minor Arcana. Represents the element of Earth. Often associated with merchants and material possessions. I personally found this to be a great fit for the Bookworms couple. This also means that someone else will get the Hierophant later on.

**Shuffle Time:** In Green Midnight, Shuffle Time works a little differently. When Minato first started, he could only grab Persona cards. When he forms a link with one of the four Minor Arcana, a card representative of that will also appear in Shuffle Time. When he grabs the Coin, he gets money. Cup: he and/or the party get an energy boost (HP/SP recovery). Wand: experience and/or stat boosts. Sword: weapons. As his Social Links with the Minor Arcana grow, so will their power in Shuffle Time. For example, a Rank 1 Cup Link will only provide a Rank 1 card in Shuffle Time. When it goes to Rank 2, the card will also become Rank 2 in Shuffle Time and ONLY Rank 2. This will continue until the Link is maxed out.

**Devil Summoner:** An MMORPG that Toriumi is playing that is based off of the stories of the Kuznoha clans. Minato and Hamuko grew up listening to these stories. I will go into greater detail regarding this in Chapter 13.

**Reaper: **A caretaker of Tartarus and Jester's ally/partner. He is the one responsible for the deaths of Arisato Jouhei and Shirogane-Arisato Nagi, the parents of Minato and Hamuko. A strong, stoic type, he says little and lets his guns do the talking. Like in P3, he will chase the party around if they spend too long on a floor. Like in P4, he could be randomly hiding in a chest. Also seems to be interested in Yukari for some reason…


	13. Chapter 13: MMORPG

Welcome to a new chapter of Green Midnight!

Wow! There's a lot of reviews for this chapter! And a lot of theories revolving around Jester and the Reaper! I like how you guys are thinking! Let's continue the adventures of Green Midnight after some reviews!

ravenwingcorps: Why thank you. Mamoru will probably cameo at some point. As for Hamuko, we'll eventually see.

NightmareSyndrom: I'm not saying! I always thought Bunkichi was off his rocker, except when thinking about his son. It's spelled lecturing. No, Minato's not going to do any of that; instead he'll be doing something a little different, which you'll see this chapter.

Fan of Fanfics21: Oh? Something akin to the Showdown at the O.K. Corral? That'd be interesting.

Patcheresu: Formally subbed? Heh, I'll take that as a compliment. Anyways, that IS my style; I'll try to tone it down if I can. And I'm sure as hell am not going to use F.E.S.'s style; I've got my own plans. I respect and look up to it, sure, but I've got my own ideas.

mangafreak7793: How were the choices awkward? As for the distant relative, it was just some greedy bastard that just happened to get lucky, no one really important. He'll probably get what's coming to him later on.

Trickymander: I already sent you a PM regarding this, but I shall answer this again here just to clear confusion. I am aware that Thanatos and the Reaper are NOT the same thing. I am also aware that, in canon, only Thantos was on the Moonlight Bridge that night. But you must be aware of this: THIS is NOT canon; this is Green Midnight. As Hamuko told everyone in Chapter 5: "After our parents were devoured, the two Reapers stared each other down, the first one pointing its katana at the second one and the second one drawing out these giant guns. They looked like they were going to fight when all of a sudden, gunshots rang out."-The katana-wielding one is Thanatos while the one with the guns is the Tartarus Reaper.

Echo the Ethereal Swordmaster: Sweet! I have new pics for my YouTube videos! Thanks!

IStartedTheFire22: Thanks! Are the Reaper and Yukari connected? I'm not saying. Who gets Hierophant? Well, a hint: The Hierophant Arcana is also known as the High Priest Arcana. I see you've given some serious thought regarding Jester. As I've stated previously, she's a Shadow/human-hybrid with Persona powers. Who she is exactly is a surprise I'm keeping for now. And apparently, you caught onto a clue that I wasn't even aware I added… Bonus points!

SpecialAgentOrange: I've already addressed you PM questions. As for your review questions, yes, 10 years ago in-story is quite interesting. The Incense Cards have a different role for this story; I'll explain it when their role shows up. Do the Social Links benefit the other half of the links as well? I've accounted for that as well. You'll see that explained later as well. As for the Devil Summoner MMORPG, your questions will be answered this chapter.

Craig: Thank you, I appreciate that. I think F.E.S. was a pretty good story, barring a few bumps, though. Don't worry, at this point, you shouldn't see any more references to in-game mechanics, except for the Velvet Room requests.

Ryder Tsukikage Ookami: You're welcome. I'm glad the twins' relationship mirrors that of you and your sister. Can I also assume is that your opinions match that of the twins as well? That's pretty clever! More questions about Hierophant? Well, another hint: the one getting that Social Link has been mentioned in this story at some point. (cue people scanning the chapters) Aki was Star in P3P. You'll see how those stories affect this story, starting this chapter. I'm glad you were paying attention way back in Chapter 5. And thank you.

DrTempo: Thanks! I think I've pretty much guaranteed that Naoto will show up in this story. As for everyone else, well, I think you will see all party members at some point.

Brandon Skyblade: Oh, Raidou DOES exist as a game here. Yes, that's Hamuko's critical-hit animation. Never read P3FTW. Don't even know what that is. Like I said, Jester has Medium Awareness.

OblivionKey99: Only partially; I HATE CODE GEASS. That's also why I'm not reading SamJaz's newest story. There shouldn't be any more manga references anytime soon, I think. Smash Bros was a placeholder for a song I meant to find for them, but I forgot to replace it. Oh, well; I like the songs just fine. Oh, don't worry; Hamuko and the Reaper will some form of relationship.

SEESWildCard: Nice name. Anyways, I don't plan on anyone else knowing about the Velvet Room and its related materials unless the plot calls for it. Also, yeah, like I just said, Naoto will appear at SOME point. When has yet to be decided. It won't be until after the July Full Moon at the earliest, though.

Brittany Schlosberg: I read all reviews and respond to the newest in the following chapter, so don't worry about when or where you review. Anyways, I shall address your comments. First off, thank you for reading and enjoying. Now, about Minato's personality, you've got to remember a lot of things. First off, he was never really given one in Persona 3, so it's up to the writer, in this case me, to make one for him. Secondly, I'm aware of his fandom status as 'emo, quiet, analytical, and passive', and bits and pieces of that are still in Minato's personality. However, you've got to remember a key factor for this story: Hamuko. Hamuko is cheery, bright, chipper, and basically one big ol' ball of sunshine. Being raised with her eliminated most of that emoness and passiveness that Minato is famous for. Not to mention that he had a family to count on. In short, with the exception of the tragedy on the Moonlgiht Bridge and a second event I've been dropping hints about in this story, Minato has had a HAPPY life. (Cue MORE scanning of the chapters) Now then, as for Ikutsuki, Minato doesn't suspect he's evil or plotting something cruel. Minato thinks of Ikutsuki as a weird man who's quite incompetent and likes to peek on teenagers on their sleep. Sure, he doesn't like him, but that doesn't mean he thinks he's evil or traitorous. And you've also got to remember that Minato comes from a family of detectives, so just about ANYTHING could make Minato wary or suspicious of something. That reminds me, we haven't seen him in awhile… We'll have to fix that in Chapter 14.

Okay, get your battle music ready, for we have another boss battle this chapter! (I'd recommend the FR/LG Gym Leader Battle theme) And with that, let's get into this chapter!

**In Game Date:** April 28, 2009

* * *

**Chapter 13: **_**MMORPG**_

After the drama-filled expedition of Tartarus last night, everyone went straight to bed, the events still fresh in mind. Tuesday morning came along; Minato was walking to school, thinking over a few things.

_'There's just so many things going on… Tartarus, the Dark Hour, Jester, tennis, Student Council, my Social Links, the Shadows, Apathy Syndrome, Igor, Elizabeth, that creepy kid, the game based on the stories from my clan, and now that damn Reaper who killed my parents… I honestly don't know what I'm going to do. I don't know if I can handle all this; I'm not superhuman… Wait, I sorta am.'_

"Arisato!" the shouting of his name snapped him out his thoughts. Mitsuru walked up to him, looking somewhat concerned. "Good morning, Arisato," Mitsuru greeted him. "Have you acclimated to our school yet?"

"Honestly? Not really. I'm got so much on my plate; a lot more than I have ever anticipated when I first decided to come here," Minato sighed. "I don't handle stress so well, so I'm on pins and needles."

"Well, that's understandable," Mitsuru nodded. "So much seems to be happening these days. However, that's no excuse to fall to pieces. You've made friends here, haven't you? I'm sure they wouldn't mind helping with the burden."

"That would be much appreciated, sempai," Minato whispered.

"By the way, the Kirijo Group's finished the trace on your credit card," Mitsuru announced.

"Really? Where did it lead you?" Minato asked.

"You wouldn't believe how complicated it was to track. It went through dozens of servers and a lot of different countries, but we finally tracked it down to a Swiss bank account," she replied.

"Oh, crap. So, we basically learned nothing," Minato growled.

"Not necessarily. Don't underestimate what the Kirijo Group can do. We did manage to get a name tied to the account," Mitsuru smirked. "The account was in the name of one 'Kanzato Keitaro'."

"WHAT?" Minato shouted. "You're kidding!"

"I am not, Arisato; do you know this person?" Mitsuru warily looked at the younger boy.

"That's one of my father's aliases!" he told her.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really," Minato confirmed his answer. "I wouldn't mistake something like that, especially since Grandfather told me."

"Well, you do realize that it's more than likely, if not downright certain, that there's one or more 'Kanzato Keitaros' in the world, right?" Mitsuru questioned.

"I suppose so, but…" Minato looked away. "After everything that's happened so far, I just can't dismiss that as a coincidence."

"You do have a point, Arisato. What do you plan to do now?" Mitsuru asked.

"I guess I should ask Yakushiji-san to check and see if any of my father's old accounts are still active," Minato planned out. "If its not, then I guess a general search should be done."

"I agree," Mitsuru nodded. "But I still can't help but wonder who exactly this 'Jester' is."

"I know. She's such an enigma," Minato voiced his opinion.

"Listen, Arisato. About last night…"

"It's okay, sempai. I know it was a lot, and part of it was my fault…" Minato sighed.

"I wasn't going to blame you; to be honest, I originally agreed with your idea to train on a single floor. I was only going to say to be ready for the next time and not let vengeance blind you," she replied.

"Don't worry, sempai. I've made my peace long ago regarding my parents' death. If anything, I'm worried for my twin. Unlike me, she saw our parents die right before her eyes. She may always seem perky and upbeat, but you saw her last night. I hadn't seen her that upset since our grandmother's death," Minato sighed. "All I can do for her right now is be there for her."

"She also has S.E.E.S. as well," Mitsuru added. "Don't forget that. We're here to support each other. Although, I have to ask you this: Will the presence of your parents' murderer affect you ability as field leader?"

"Don't worry, Mitsuru-sempai; I'll be okay. My only problem is that Jester keeps getting under my skin," Minato growled.

"Just keep your cool, Arisato. We have time. They will both be taken care of in due time. Your parents will be avenged," Mitsuru promised him.

"Thank you, sempai," Minato smiled as the two continued on their way to school.

* * *

"So, Kenji, one moment, I was chatting with Yukari-chan about today's lesson. The next thing I know, you come flying down the hall and forcibly drag me all the way down to Hagakure for ramen. Mind telling me what this is all about?"

"Well…" Kenji smiled. "I wanted to know. Your dorm's co-ed, right?"

"Yeah. What of it?" Minato replied.

"So, can you, like, go into Yukari-san's room and stuff?" Kenji asked.

_'I should've known…'_

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Minato smirked.

"Whaddaya mean it's a secret? Are you trying to say that there's nothing going on between you two?" Kenji grinned.

"Remember what we talked about, Kenji," said Minato.

"Ah, yes, sorry…" Kenji chucked. "But seriously?"

"Again, remember what I told you," Minato repeated.

"I get it, I get it," Kenji held up his hands in defeat. "I'm not interested in girls her age, anyway."

_'He's not interested in girls his own age? What does that make him, then; a cake eater or a lolicon?'_ Minato wondered.

"When it comes to women, I like them to be older than me," Kenji admitted. "What about you?"

_'Ah, a cake eater. Well, that's okay,' _Minato thought. "Well, age doesn't matter to me; the connection is what would be important to me."

"So, you don't discriminate, huh? That's awesome; good for you, man," Kenji was impressed. The two of them quietly ate ramen for a couple of minutes before Kenji decided to speak up. "…Well, to tell you the truth, I…" Kenji struck up another conversation. "Wait, this is just between us, okay?"

"Sure, Kenji. What is it?" Minato asked.

"I… have my eye on someone," he admitted. "This is the 'secret plan' I was talking about; I'm going to ask her out."

"Oh? Is it Rio-san or Yuko-san?" Minato wondered.

"Rio? Naw. She's my best friend. Besides, she has no interest in me," Kenji brushed off the comment. "As for Yuko-san, I know for a fact that she's pining for Kaz, even though she'd never admit it."

"One of the third-years then?"

"Nope," Kenji grinned.

"College chick?" Minato was getting morbidly curious.

"Nope," he grinned more.

"Um… then who?"

"Not that it's a big deal or anything. Well, I guess it IS a big deal since she's a sensei at our school," Kenji spilled the beans.

"WHAT!" Minato choked on his ramen.

"Dude!" Kenji slapped him on back, forcing the ramen back out.

"Ugh… sorry," Minato wiped his mouth. "I… just wasn't expecting that."

"That's okay. Anyways, I want you to be there when I ask her out, but you gotta promise you won't tell anyone, okay?"

"Is it Toriumi-sensei?" Minato asked.

"Toriumi-sensei? Heck no!" Kenji held his hands defensively. "The woman scares the crap out of me! Why do you ask? Don't tell me…"

"HELL no," Minato cut him off. "Toriumi-sensei is my daibo."

"Oh, I see," Kenji was embarrassed.

"Anyways, you DO realize that this is dangerous territory you're treading here, right?" Minato questioned him. ""While I personally have nothing against you hooking up with one of 'them', others may not see it that way. If I were you, I'd wait until you graduated before trying to ask out one of the senseis, but I have a feeling you're not going to do that, are you?"

"Well, I don't really know…" Kenji sighed. "I want to, but…"

"You're scared?" Minato finished his sentence.

"Yeah," Kenji sighed. "Cause if people find out, they'll be all like 'That's inappropriate' or whatever…"

"Don't worry about it, Kenji. As long as things don't get intimate just yet, I don't really see a problem with it," Minato assured him. "Just be careful, okay?"

"Thanks, Minato," Kenji smiled before getting back to his ramen.

**SMASH!**

_**"Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Magician Arcana…"

* * *

**_

The rest of the day came and went with no incident. The next morning, Minato wandered downstairs, finding Hamuko relaxing in the lounge. Since today was Showa Day, school was let out. "Morning," Hamuko greeted him.

"Morning, imoto," Minato greeted her back. "Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Hamuko replied.

"Hamuko…" Minato glared at his twin.

"Seriously, I'm fine, aniki," Hamuko replied. "Two nights ago was a shock, I admit, but I'll be okay. All I can do is get stronger and maybe one day, I'll get my shot at him."

"Well, if you say so…" Minato sighed as he sat down. "Anyways, I haven't told you about 'Devil Summoner' yet, have I?"

"'Devil Summoner'? What's that?" Hamuko asked.

"Apparently, someone from the Kuzunoha clans sold our family legends to some gaming company and they made it into an online game," Minato informed her.

"WHAT!" Hamuko screeched.

"Yeah. That was my reaction as well. Personally, I had just dismissed them as stories, even with the likes of Green Midnight around, but now…" Minato admitted.

"You think there's some truth to them?" Hamuko wondered.

"Yeah. When I got a sneak peek at the game the other day, the game was using the same exact spells as our Personas," said Minato.

"What?" Hamuko's eyes widened.

"Yeah. Agi, Bufu, Zio. They got 'em. That got my curiosity spiked. I wanted to investigate further. Care to join me?" Minato offered.

"Sure!" Hamuko nodded. "Do you have a copy of the game?"

"Two, actually," Minato pulled the games out of his jacket. "Izako-daibo gave them to me."

"Daibo still a game junkie? Why does that not surprise me?" Hamuko chuckled.

"My thoughts exactly," Minato laughed as well. "Anyways, wanna try it out?"

"Would I!" Hamuko replied. "And with the Wi-Fi FINALLY repaired, we can play here!"

"Excellent," Minato smiled.

* * *

The Arisato holed up in Minato's room, laptops and headsets at the ready. Both started up the game at the same time. The game's logo flashed on screen before a bunch of opening credits flashed on screen. After that, the main screen flashed on. Both players selected 'New Game'. The screen faded and a blue butterfly flew across the screen, a message forming behind it.

_**"It is the year 192X. You are a member of the Kuzunoha clan, a clan of Devil Summoners charged with protecting Japan. You have been asked by the clan to assist Raidou Kuzunoha the XIV in protecting the capital. Your job is to work alongside him and other Kuzunoha clan members in solving mysteries and take out any malicious demons that threaten the safety of the capital's citizens."**_

The butterfly flew by again, leaving a second message.

_**"Reality is just a series of events and players acting out what they believe is real. When we accept that fact, our world becomes 'reality'. Reality is but a reflection of our thoughts and expectations. But what if we were merely reflections in another's mirror? Are you prepared to look through that mirror to discover that truth? Who knows; you may learn a thing or two about yourself along the way."**_

_'Okay… THAT was oddly philosophical.'_

Each twin took a few moments to carefully craft an avatar for themselves. Hamuko's avatar was a young girl that had bright blue eyes and light red hair formed into two pigtails that looped back to her head. Minato's avatar was a young man that had light brown hair and eyes that matched. "So, what are you going to name your avatar?" Minato asked.

"Hm… I was thinking Megami," Hamuko nodded.

"Nice choice. I'm going with Shin," said Minato.

"Cool name," Hamuko agreed. "So, apparently, you can be one of four classes of Kuzunoha: Raidou, Kyouji, Geirin, and Okami. Each type of Kuzunoha is different. Raidous are the jack-of-all-trades. Geirins are more support-oriented, focusing on healing and status effects. Kyoujis are all about the attack power and Okamis focus on speed and defense. I'm thinking I'll be a Geirin; what about you?"

"Well, family legends say that the Raidous were the greatest of Kuzunoha, so I'll be a Raidou," Minato replied.

"Excellent. Let's begin," Hamuko replied as they both confirmed their choices.

* * *

After confirming, the pair found themselves right in the middle of a city. The butterfly flew by yet again, leaving a message.

"_**Welcome to Tsukudo-cho. From here on out, your job is to tame demons, stop threats, and solve cases with Raidou the XIV. Or, if you wish, you can chat with other Summoners, trade, train, or whatever suits your tastes. Just remember: there is a consequence for every action."**_

"That last line seems a little familiar," Hamuko mused.

"Wait a second… I remember Igor and that creepy kid saying something similar to me," Minato recalled.

_'Don't worry. All it says is that you'll accept full responsibility for your actions…'_ the boy's words were recalled.

_'It's exactly as the contract states; that you vow to take responsibility for any and all choices you make,'_ Igor's words echoed in Minato's head.

"Okay, now THIS is getting a little creepy," Minato shuddered.

The screen pinged. _**"Okami Kuzunoha Tensei would like to enable voice chat with you. Accept? Y/N"**_

"Sure, why not?' Minato shrugged as he accepted.

**"S'up?"** a female avatar appeared on screen. She wore a grey dress and had long, black hair.

"Nothing much," Minato replied.

**"Wait a second… that voice…Minato-kun!"** the female avatar spoke.

"Aniki… she knows your name…" Hamuko whispered.

"Do I… know you?" Minato questioned.

**"Of course you know me! It's me, your daibo!"** the girl replied.

"Izako-daibo?" the twins shouted.

**"Yup. And, Hamuko-chan, you're there too? Awesome,"** Izako replied. **"I was wondering when you'd show up."**

"Gee, thanks," Minato sarcastically replied.

**"Watch your tone,"** Izako mocked her godson.** "Anyways, here, you can refer to me as Tensei, after my avatar. What did you name your avatars?"**

"I'm Shin," Minato replied.

"Megami," Hamuko added.

**"Nice names. And from what I can tell, Shin's a Raidou and Megami's a Geirin, correct?"** Tensei asked.

"Yup," Hamuo confirmed.

**"I'm an Okami. I'm guessing this is your first time in the world of Devil Summoner, right?"** Tensei asked.

"Yeah, it is," Minato answered.

**"That's cool. How about we spend today getting you two learning the ropes? First thing we gotta do is get you familiar with the mechanics of battle via the in-game tutorial. After that, we gotta get two some demons and we do that by going to the Kuzunoha Detective Agency,"** Tensei informed them. **"After that, I'll lead you through some basic missions so you know what you're doing."**

"Lead the way, Tensei-sempai," Minato accepted the offer.

* * *

"Boy, this game is tough!" Hamuko complained.

"I know, and that was only the tutorial!" Minato agreed.

** "It's tough at first, but you get used to it and even enjoy it,"** Tensei chuckled. **"I think that's enough for now. Next time, we'll get your demons and I'll help you with your first case."**

"Sounds like a plan," said Hamuko.

**"Now remember, while this may be a fun game, you are NOT to shrug off your responsibilities, okay? Schoolwork, clubs, and all other responsibilities come before this,"** Tensei warned them. **"Understand?"**

"We understand," the twins replied.

**"Good. Now, with that said, you're free to play on your own after you get your demons. However, if you want to continue playing with me, you can usually find me online during Sundays and holidays,"** Tensei informed them. **"We can hang out in-game when you two are bored. Just make sure your homework is done and that all other responsibilities are taken care of."**

"Then I'll be looking forward to it," Minato replied.

**SMASH!**

_ 'Wait, what? I thought I was close to my daibo. Looks like there's more to learn.'_

A card appeared over Minato's laptop. It had a blackened goat's skull pictured on it with a five-pointed star floating above it. Beneath the skull were the silhouettes of a man and woman, both with horns.

_**"Thou art I… and I am thou… Thou hast established a new bond. It brings thee closer to thy destiny. Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Devil Arcana…"**_

**"I'll see you two at school tomorrow, ok? See ya! Traesto!"** Tensei disappeared from the screen as the twins logged out.

"Well, that was fun, wasn't it?" Hamuko sighed as she shut her laptop.

"It was, but what really got me was that some of the spells were like ours. Agi, Bufu, Dia, Zio…" said Minato.

"Then there was that 'Zan' spell. From what I could tell, it was exactly like Garu, except that it was called Zan and that they called its elemental property 'Force'. That sounds so weird…" Hamuko gagged at the thought.

"True. But now I'm really curious about the demons themselves. I wonder what they're like," Minato rubbed his chin.

"I am curious as well," Hamuko agreed. "I can't wait to play some more."

"Me too. It's kinda like looking back in time," said Minato.

"I know. I wish Mom and Dad were here to see it," Hamuko sadly smiled. "They'd probably get a kick outta it."

"Hamuko…" Minato whispered. "Are you okay?"

"I know… I said I was okay… But…" Hamuko threw herself into Minato's arms. "I miss them! I miss them so much!"

"Imoto…" Minato held her crying form. _'Dammit, I knew she wasn't okay after all!'_

"I knew coming here, to the place where our parents met and fell in love, it was going to be hard…" tears began to fall from Hamuko's eyes. "But now… after finally finding the one that took them away… I want so much to make him feel all the pain I've had to hold in… Damn that Reaper. Damn him for taking them from me… from you… from Naoko… from us…"

_'She really does miss them, doesn't she? I miss them too…'_

"Hamuko, I…"

"Promise me that you'll never leave me, Minato," Hamuko stared him right in the eye.

"What?" The statement confused Minato.

"Promise me that you'll never leave me. You've always been the one person I could count on. If you leave me too…" she let the sentence hang.

_'She depends on me that much? I…'_ Minato wasn't sure exactly what to feel. "Don't worry Hamuko; I won't leave you. I promise that I'll always be there for you."

"Thank you…" she hugged her brother tightly. "Thank you…"

**SMASH!**

_'HUH!'_

A card appeared over the embracing pair. A black lantern hung in the picture, emitting light, with what appeared to be an eye with a violet iris hanging from it. Several telescoping circles, in various shades of purple, made up the background.

_'Oh, you've to be kidding me,'_ Minato bitterly sighed. _'She's the ONE person who I thought I already had a tight bond with! But I guess this Social Link system loves throwing me for a loop and apparently, we can get closer still.'_

_**"Thou art I… and I am thou… Thou hast established a new bond. It brings thee closer to thy destiny. Thou shalt be blessed when creating Personas of the Hermit Arcana…"**_

"I'm sorry, aniki," Hamuko looked up at him.

"It's okay, imoto," Minato smiled. "I understand that this is hard for you."

"It is… It is…" Hamuko leaned back into the embrace.

* * *

That night, the team returned to Tartarus. After rushing through several floors, they had finally made it to the tenth floor. "We finally made it to the tenth floor," Yukari happily sighed.

"It's about time! I'm ready to go!" Junpei proclaimed.

"Sempai, are those three Shadows still here?" Minato asked.

**"Yes, but now there's a fourth presence with them,"** Mitsuru informed him.

"Let me guess… Jester?" Hamuko asked what was on everyone's mind.

**"Yes,"** Mitsuru replied.

"…That's all I need to know. Let's go," Minato ordered as he walked forward. The group quickly found Jester, who was calmly waiting for them.

"…So, you're back? I would've thought that my friend the Reaper would've scared you off for sure," Jester greeted them.

"Like hell we'd run," Hamuko sneered at their enemy. "That bastard killed my parents a long time ago; no way am I going to let such an abomination run wild."

"…Your parents?" Jester seemed genuinely curious.

"Yeah. That Shadow killed our parents ten years ago," Minato replied.

"I see…" Jester lowered her head. "Well, if means anything, I apologize."

"Apologize? For what?" Hamuko asked.

"No one should lose family at such a young age. It's just not right," Jester replied sincerely.

"Any why exactly would you, of all people, care?" Yukari glared at the clown.

"Well, if you MUST know, before Tartarus, before my master, before getting my powers, before the Dark Hour, before anything of the sort, I was a normal person, just like you guys," Jester told them. "I had a family too; a family that I loved and that loved me. That family was ripped away from me at a young age as well. But that was a lifetime ago. The child forced to endure that loss is now dead and in her place stands this magnificent beauty right in front of you."

_'…She's like us?'_ Minato was completely off guard; he and the other members of S.E.E.S. found themselves unable to respond to her story.

"…But enough about my previous life. Time to get down to business. You've got six floor to go until the barrier, but first, you have to win another game," Jester's voice got serious.

"What, another Pokémon battle?" Junpei wondered aloud.

"Precisely, ku, ku, ku," Jester chuckled. "I suggest looking behind you."

Everyone turned around to see that three figured blocked the way back. All three creatures were on four legs, like dogs. One was red-orange with yellow-white fur. Another was yellow with a ring of white fur around its neck, its fur shaped like spikes. The other one was a beautiful ocean blue with that had a fish-like tail and fin-like ears. Jester leaped over the four Persona-users and landed in front of the three creatures.

"Say hello to Flareon, Jolteon, and Vaporeon," Jester introduced the Pokémon. "The rules are same as last time: Win, and you get something from me. Lose, and I get your lives. You ready?"

"I was born ready," Minato smirked. "Sempai?"

**"I'm already analyzing the enemy, but I will need time,"** Mitsuru replied.

"Everyone?" Minato asked.

"Bring it," all three prepared their weapons and Evokers.

"Then let the battle begin!" Jester shouted as she jumped away from the combatants.

"Let's go team!" Minato shouted as he put the Evoker to his head. "Lilim!"

A beautiful devil-woman appeared above Minato, seductively smiling.

"Use Garu!" he ordered. Lilim flapped her wings, firing a gust of wind at Jolteon, but it didn't seem to do anytime.

"Let's get in this!" Junpei shouted, causing the tenth floor became embroiled in chaos as the members of S.E.E.S. took on the three Eeveelutions.

"Go, Orpheus!" Minato summoned his trusty Persona, firing flames at the Jolteon. Jolteon jumped out of the way and fired a bolt of lightning at Minato.

"Gaah!" Minato fell to the ground.

"Aniki!" Hamuko shouted as she summoned Eurydice. "Bufu!" Eurydice's ice struck Jolteon, freezing one of its legs. Hamuko used the opportunity to rush over to her blue-haired brother.

"You okay?" she helped him up.

"I'll be fine," Minato regained his senses. "I forgot that Orpheus is weak to Zio skills."

**"Everyone! I've got their weaknesses and strengths!"** Mitsuru announced. **"The Flareon blocks all Agi skills and can resist Garu. The Jolteon blocks Zio and Pierce skills and is strong against Slash and Garu skills. The Vaporeon blocks Bufu and Agi and resists Garu. The Vaporeon is weak against Zio and all three are vulnerable to Strikes!"**

"Got it!" Minato replied. "Junpei! Yukari! Hold them off while we knock them down!" Minato ordered.

"Gotcha!" Junpei replied as he whipped out his Evoker.

"Okay!" Yukari started firing arrows at the Pokémon.

"Hamuko!" Minato turned to his twin. "Start lowering defense while I boost our speed!"

"On it! Rakunda!" Hamuko summoned her Persona.

"Let's go! Cadenza!" Minato unleashed the power of Orpheus and Apsaras to heal and increase agility.

"Much better," he smirked as the green light faded. "Go for it!" he summoned Orpheus. It swung its lyre right into the frozen Jolteon, knocking it down.

"Let's do this!" Junpei fended off an attack from Vaporeon and summoned Hermes. Hermes unfurled its wings and slashed right through Vaporeon, disorienting it.

"Take this!" Yukari summoned Io, blasting a charging Flareon. While it didn't do much damage, it managed to stun it for a moment, allowing Hamuko to take advantage.

"Bash!" she called out, sending Eurydice at the stunned Pokémon. It swung its lyre like a golf club, slamming it right into the fire Pokémon's side, causing it to roll across the ground.

"Here's our chance!" Minato called out. "Go for it!"

All four members rushed the downed Eon Pokémon and struck hard, coughing up a dust cloud. For the next couple of minutes, only grunts, shouts, and glass-breaking could be heard. "Ooo. I wonder what happened," Jester looked on in awe.

As the cloud began to clear up, Jester was able to see the results of the battle. Yukari was clutching her arm and had a cut on her forehead; in addition, her leg seemed limp, like she couldn't feel it. Junpei had a split lip and blood was dripping down his arm. Hamuko had a nasty burn on her leg and arm, her right sock and right sleeve completely seared off. Minato himself had his bangs frozen solid, more or less rendering him blind.

"Damn this ice! I can't see! Someone tell me if we got them," Minato ordered.

"I can't tell; the dust is too thick," Yukari replied.

A low growl echoed inside the cloud.

"What was that?" Yukari was on her guard.

An eerie glow came from the cloud, making everyone nervous.

"What's going on?" Minato asked, unable to see the glow.

A scream came out from the fog and the glow got brighter.

"What is that?" Minato shouted, hearing the scream.

"Look out!" Yukari shouted as the glow shot out right at Minato.

Minato was sent flying right into the wall, the crash knocking him right out. Standing where Minato was a moment ago was a badly injured Flareon covered in flames.

"Aniki!" Hamuko cried out.

"Shit! We didn't get them all!" Junpei growled.

"Ooo. Looks like you pissed off Flareon big time," Jester commented on the situation.

"Shut up!" Hamuko yelled at the clown. "JUST SHUT UP!"

**"I sense immense power coming from Arisato-kohai!"** Mitsuru shouted. **"Don't tell me that…"**

"Oh, are you mad?" Jester asked in a mocking tone. "Why don't you just run home to mommy? Oh, wait; you don't have one anymore."

"You! Can it, bitch!" Hamuko's body was quaking with anger.

"Oh, yeah? MAKE ME," Jester mocked the redhead.

**WHAM!**

Completely out of nowhere, Hamuko suddenly appeared in front of Jester and punched her square in the face, knocking her right into a wall, creating a crater. Her ice powers had kicked in as well, causing Hamuko's fist to be encased in ice.

"What the hell?" Yukari gasped.

"Dude! How'd she do that?" Junpei shouted.

A low growl suddenly permeated the air, alerting Junpei to the Flareon that had knocked out Minato. It was ready to ram him again, which would kill him. "Shit! I forgot about the Flareon!" Junpei gripped his Evoker, ready to call on Hermes.

Before he could pull the trigger, though, Hamuko vanished again, suddenly reappearing between Minato and Flareon, her arm completely outstretched, naginata in hand. A moment later, the Flareon let out a sharp howl as it fell to the ground and disappeared. Hamuko, very tired from what happened, collapsed to the ground. Junpei ran over to her to make sure she was okay.

"How did she do that?" Yukari stared in awe.

** "I'll tell you later, but your wounds need to be tended to now,"** Mitsuru replied.

"You know, instead of standing there like an idiot, you COULD be healing everyone, especially your sleeping commander over there."

Yukari whipped around to see that Jester was standing behind her, seemingly fine except for one thing. "What the! But how! Your head's an ice cube!" Yukari readied her bow.

"I'm much more resilient than you give me credit for," Jester replied as she knocked her fist against her frozen head. "But I honestly didn't expect a case of brain freeze. Now then, since you won, I'll be a good sport and heal everyone." Jester snapped her fingers and called out "Mediarama!" Everyone was coated in a white light and most of their wounds were healed.

"Ugh…" Minato stirred and stood up, his fringe no longer frozen. "What happened?" He then saw Jester. "…What the hell? Your head's an ice sculpture."

"Gee, thanks Captain Obvious," Jester flung her hand in a brushing motion. "Anyways, you guys win again. For that, you get prizes."

Jester snapped her fingers and three items appeared in front of her. One was a long katana, another was a bow, and a third appeared to be a charm of some sort. The three items floated over to Junpei, Yukari, and Hamuko, respectively.

"The katana is known as 'Juzumaru'. It is said that it was owned by a monk of legend. The bow is called 'Siren's Song'; any enemy struck by its arrows is likely to be sent into a panic. The charm was blessed by monks to cast away demonic flames during ancient times; I believe this charm will help the one who wears it avoid any fire attacks," Jester explained what the items did as the three took a hold of them.

"Why are you giving us these?" Junpei asked.

"That's easy; we played a game and you won," she shrugged like it was no big deal.

"Then how come Minato doesn't get a prize?" he continued.

_'Yeah! How come I get nothing?'_ Minato wondered.

"Oh, that's easy as well; Blue got OHKO'd so he gets nothing," Jester held her hands behind her icy head.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Yukari shouted.

"Hey! Don't get snippy! Tell ya what; instead of a prize, I'll give him two things: a promise and a clue," Jester held up her hands in defense.

"Say what?" Minato cocked his head to the side.

"A clue and a promise. The promise is this: should you get to the barrier on the sixteenth floor and beat the next game there, I will not only give you a prize, but something much more valuable: information," Jester offered.

_'Information? THAT would be useful,'_ Minato thought.

"And the clue?" Yukari asked.

"The clue? That's simple. I'm only going to say this once, so pay attention," Jester got their attention. "Disturb not the harmony of Fire, Ice, Wind, and Lightning, lest their vassals wreak mass destruction upon the world in which they clash. Allow their conflict to go unsettled for long, and the Water's Great Guardian shall arise, and the world will shall be overcome by darkness. O Chosen One, into thine hands lies the world's fate, yet this task is not yours alone. Attack the Great Guardian with those near to your heart. Alone, your song shall fail, yet as one, nothing is impossible."

_'What the hell?'_ Minato thought.

"Dude… I'm completely lost…" Junpei groaned.

"That sounds almost like a prophecy," Yukari noted.

"You could say that it is," Jester chuckled. "Now, I really think you should check on the redhead that gave me this makeover. You guys really do have a problem regarding that; something happens, like me showing up, and it gets your undivided attention, causing you all to disregard your surroundings." Jester sprang over the group and landed next to the unconscious Hamuko. A sword instantly appeared in Jester's hand as it was pointed at Hamuko's neck.

"Stay away from her!" Minato pointed his sword at Jester.

"You see? You guys were all so enthralled by me that you left her defenseless. Come on, people! Haven't you seen someone's head frozen before?" Jester mocked them. "Do you guys have Attention Deficit Ooo! Shiny! … Or something?"

"Hey, stop mocking us!" Yukari shouted.

"I will, once you guys stop being idiots regarding your foes, ku, ku, ku," Jester chuckled. "Now get out of here; the two-way transporter is just up ahead. As for me, I need to cure my head cold." With that, Jester vanished into a portal of darkness.

* * *

The team managed to find the transporter and returned to the bottom floor of Tartarus, where they met up with Mitsuru. Carrying Hamuko in his arms, Minato was deep in thought. _'Disturb not the harmony? Water's Great Guardian? What on earth was Jester talking about? And are we really so naïve in battle and are THAT easily distracted? Damn,' _Minato sighed.

"I'm glad you're alright," Mitsuru greeted them. "However, today was a bit of a disaster. As much as I'm not willing to admit this, Jester has a point: you all get way too easily distracted. If she had truly wanted to, she could've killed Arisato-kohai."

"…I know, sempai. I'm just sorta grateful she's treating all this like a game. If she was being serious, we'd most likely be dead," Minato admitted.

"Well, there's nothing we can change about that. As long as you realize your mistakes and work to rectify them, then the night isn't a total loss," Mitsuru looked over Hamuko to make sure she was okay. "It seems she'll be just fine, Arisato. She's just exhausted; she'll be fine by morning."

"Sempai, what exactly DID Hamuko-chan do?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah! One moment, she was pissed; the next, she socked Jester right in the kisser, knocking her into a wall and giving her the most wicked case of brain freeze I've ever seen!" Junpei waved his arms excitedly.

"Well, I won't know for sure until she awakens and I ask her, but I do think I know what happened," Mitsuru held her hand up to her chin.

"Wait, Hamuko-chan was the one who turned Jester's head into a popsicle?" Minato asked.

"Yeah! And then she did something like that 'Flash Step' thing from Bleach and cleaved the Flareon in two!" Junpei held his arms up in the air.

"She did what now?" Minato was confused.

"I think what Iori is trying to say is that your sister teleported," Mitsuru clarified Junpei's comments.

"Say what now?" Minato's looked down at his sister.

"When you got knocked out, she got quite furious. My guess is that it caused her to unlock her special power," Mitsuru theorized.

"You mean that her superpower is teleportation?" Yukari asked.

"I think so," Mitsuru nodded.

"Dude, that is so COOL! I want a power like that!" Junpei grinned.

"Patience, Iori; yours will come in time," said Mitsuru.

"You did a good job today, Hamuko," Minato smiled at his sister's sleeping face. _'Much better than me, that's for sure…'_ "Let's get back to the dorm; we need to put imoto to bed."

* * *

The next day, Minato mostly kept to himself at school, still feeling kind of down about last night's battle. School had already ended and Minato was lying on the school's roof, looking at the sky. _'How on earth can I be an effective leader if I keep letting Jester play me like a fiddle? Maybe I should let Junpei take a turn at being field leader…'_ Minato sighed.

"There you are, Minato-kun!" Hearing his name snapped Minato out of his thought. He sat up to see that Yukari was standing in the doorway leading inside. "I've been looking all over the place for you!" Yukari pointed at him. "What are you doing up here, anyways?"

"Thinking," he went back down on his back.

"I see…" Yukari got down next to him. "Last night still bothering you?"

_'How did she know?'_ Minato quirked an eyebrow. "How did you know?"

"I'm bothered too after what she did," Yukari sighed. "Are we really that incompetent, Minato-kun?"

"After last night? To be completely honest, I can't find any valid reason to say no." Minato admitted.

"I know… It's not just the fact that she's better than us; it's the fact that she KNOWS she's better than us and rubs it in our face," Yukari growled. "I just wish we could put her in her place."

"Didn't Hamuko show her a thing or two?" Minato asked.

"That she did. It made me feel so good when she socked her like that. Too bad that wasn't all that effective," said Yukari.

"I wish I could've seen it," Minato smiled.

"Ah, good, you're smiling," Yukari smiled as well. "You feeling a little better now?"

"Yeah, I am. Thanks," Minato nodded.

"Anytime. Now that you're in a good mood, let's go do stuff!" Yukari stood up and dusted herself off.

"Stuff? Like what?" Minato asked.

"I dunno. Maybe go hang at the mall or something?" Yukari offered her hand.

"Hm… sure," Minato took her hand.

* * *

The two left the school and hung out at Paulownia Mall for awhile, doing various things. After a thrilling session at Game Panic and some drinks at Chagal Café, they were wandering the mall, trying to figure out what to do next. "Hey, what do you want to do now? Karaoke?" Yukari asked.

"Karaoke? You sing?" Minato quizzed her.

"Hey! I'll have you know I'm a pretty decent singer," Yukari huffed. "And you?"

"My singing sounds like Junpei when he's kicked in the balls," Minato shook his head.

"Really now? Well, try anyways; you can't be THAT bad," Yukari chuckled.

"Well, I guess I can try, but don't blame me if your ears get hurt," Minato shot back. As they were heading to their destination, a little boy suddenly slammed into Yukari.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" she stared the boy down.

"Mommy! Where are you! Mommy!" the boy sobbed.

"Oh, don't tell me…" Minato's eyes widened.

"Hey, what's wrong? You lost?" Yukari's anger gave way to concern.

"Mommy told me to wait here… and… and she gave me money… but… but she's not coming!" the kid threw himself into Yukari's embrace.

"Hey, don't cry," Yukari smiled as she wiped the tears from the boy's eyes. "See, you're okay. I'll stay here with you until your mom comes back, okay?"

Minato couldn't help watching the scene. _'Yukari seems so… motherly. I haven't seen that gentleness since that day at the hospital,'_ Minato observed.

"Minato-kun will stay here as well, right?" Yukari looked over to her companion.

"Actually, how about I go to the police station? Kurosawa-san should know what to do," Minato offered.

"That's a good idea," Yukari nodded. "Minato-kun will go get some help, okay? The policeman will know what to do and he'll find your mom, okay?"

"O-okay," the boy sniffed.

"I'll be right back," Minato dashed off to the police station.

* * *

After getting Kurosawa, Minato and Yukari were able to locate the boy's mother and return him safely. Now they were sitting on a bench, taking a break. "Phew!" Yukari wiped her brow. "I'm glad we managed to locate the kid's family. "

"Same here," Minato replied.

"What were they thinking, leaving him alone like that!" Yukari's mood quickly shifted as her fists balled up. "It makes me so angry."

"I know. He's not old enough to take care of himself yet," Minato agreed with Yukari. "However, there's nothing much we can do. Kurosawa-san has filed a complaint with Child Services though; let's just hope that this was a one-time thing."

"Yeah, I hope so…" Yukari sighed. "Still, that reminds me of my own mother."

"Your own mother? What do you mean?" Minato asked.

"…You really wanna know?" Yukari looked away.

_'I think I said something wrong,'_ Minato noticed. "Well, only if you want to. I don't want to make you talk about something you don't feel like revealing."

Yukari's shoulders slumped as she sighed and looked back at Minato. "…Remember what I told you about before? About how my mom and I aren't very close?"

"Yeah, I remember," Minato nodded.

"Well, if you asked me what kind of parent my mother is, I'd say 'a terrible one,'" Yukari sighed. "She wasn't always like that, though…"

"Yukari-chan…" Minato felt sympathy for the girl.

"After what happened to Dad, she totally changed…" Yukari began shaking. "She's had more boyfriends than I can count, and she's even living with one guy. Honestly, I'd rather not know how many she's had."

"People grieve in different ways, Yukari-chan," Minato cut in. "Take Hamuko for example. After Mom and Dad died, she locked herself in her room for days and wouldn't come out for anything except food and the bathroom. It took about two weeks, but Grandfather was able to get through to her. And then there was me; I completely shut out everyone for months. It took a long time for me to open up to anyone. Even now, I have difficulties doing so, although, for some reason, I find it easy with you. My point is that everyone grieves. We all grieve at some point; most of us are able to pull through and move on with our lives, yet some people just can't."

"I suppose so…" Yukari sighed. "Listen, I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"I understand, Yukari-chan; I don't like talking much about these kind of things either. I'm sorry I pried," Minato apologized.

"It's okay…" she assured him. "…Just keep this between you and me, okay? You're the only one I've told, Minato-kun."

"I promise," Minato replied. "How about we get out of here and get some Hagakure before returning to the dorm?"

"Heh, okay," Yukari softly smiled.

* * *

The teens made their way to Port Island Station, ready to head into Iwatodai, when Yukari spotted the flower shop near the main stairwell. "Hey, Minato-kun. Is it okay we go check out the flower shop first?" Yukari asked.

"I don't mind," he shrugged. "My mom loved to garden and she taught me a lot about flowers."

"She did?" Yukari asked.

"Yup. She made me memorize the meanings of over fifty flowers," Minato chuckled as he recalled the memory.

"Wow. Well, I bet you're the go-to guy then?" Yukari laughed.

"Yup; they call me Entei-san," Minato nodded, to which they both laughed. The two walked up to the shop and began looking around at the flowers. _'These flowers remind me so much of mom,'_ Minato looked through them.

"Hm… Lilies are too overpowering, and roses aren't really my thing… maybe gerberas?" Yukari mumbled.

"You're going to buy some flowers? What for?" Minato peered over her shoulder.

"Oh!" Yukari jumped up, startled by Minato. "Sorry. I was looking for flowers for my room. I'm thinking about going with gerberas."

"Ah, gerberas. They mean innocence, purity, and cheerfulness," Minato nodded.

"You do know your flowers!" Yukari cheerfully replied.

"Hey! You don't have any confidence in me?" Minato playfully argued.

"Nope. You're as unreliable as Junpei," Yukari laughed.

"Oh, the agony!" Minato held his chest in mock pain, which made Yukari laugh some more.

"A-Anyways," Yukari calmed herself down. "Since you're so knowledgeable, which color of gerberas should I get?"

"Hm… Pink's cute," Minato smiled.

"You think so too? I love pink," said Yukari.

"I know; you told me. Besides, you wear that pink cardigan every time you're in uniform. I think it's kinda obvious," Minato pointed out.

"I just love pink that much, that's all." Yukari blushed a little. "Anyways, I'll get them. However, gerberas alone might be a little plain. What other flowers do you think would look nice?"

"Hm… Gimme a minute to think. They're for your room, right?" Minato asked.

"Yeah. …Oh, wait. You've never seen my room, have you? Well, what good are you?" Yukari lamented.

"That's messed up, Yukari-chan," Minato sighed.

"But it's the truth!" Yukari giggled. Her demeanor then suddenly shifted into a shy one and she slightly blushed. "Actually, any flowers would be fine if they were from you, Minato-kun."

"What?" Minato's eyes widened. _'Wait a second… You don't think… But I…'_

"Psych!" Yukari became cheerful again, laughing at the same time.

"Gee, Yukari-chan. Nice to know that you won't appreciate any gifts I would get you in the future," Minato sarcastically replied.

"Oh, lighten up," Yukari chuckled. "Anyways, I'm going to check out a few more flowers before I go, but you don't have to wait."

"Naw, I'll wait. You'll need some help with those gerberas, right?" Minato offered.

"Help would be appreciated. Okay then. Thanks, Minato-kun," Yukari smiled as she continued browsing through the flowers.

_'Man, today actually turned out to be kinda fun. I have Yukari-chan to thank for that. If not for her, I'd still be all mopey about that idiotic Jester. Man, that clown's annoying, but she'll get it eventually. Still…'_ Minato was deep in thought. _'I'd like to do something for Yukari-chan to say thank you.'_ Minato then smiled as an idea came to mind. _'Hm… perhaps that'll work.'_ Minato pulled out his cell phone and quickly dialed a number. "Hey, sempai. You got time to do a quick favor for me?"

* * *

After picking up some gerberas and a quick bite at Hagakure, the two returned to the dorm, where they found Hamuko sitting in the lounge, slumped in a chair. "Hamuko! You looked tired. What happened?" Minato asked.

"Ugh… right after school, Mitsuru-sempai grabbed me and quizzed me about what happened last night," Hamuko groaned. "She just kept asking and asking and asking and asking. So many questions can be exhausting!"

"It can't be that bad, can it?" Yukari asked.

"You'd be surprised," Hamuko sighed.

"Special delivery!" The three turned to see Akihiko entering the dorm, carrying a bunch of pink flowers.

"Whoa, sempai! Those are some pretty flowers!" Hamuko oogled them over, her fatigue instantly forgotten. "Who are they for?"

"These are for you, Takeba," Akihiko handed the flowers over to her.

"Me!" Yukari blushed. "But sempai, I…"

"No, these flowers are not from me," Akihiko cut her off.

"Not from you?" Yukari seemed confused. "Then who are they from?"

"Me," Minato confessed. "I had Akihiko-sempai pick them up on his way back. If I had gotten them for you at the shop, you probably would've put up a fight about 'how you cannot accept these,' so I got them delivered, so to speak."

"I probably would've," Yukari chuckled as she took in the scents of the flowers. "They're so beautiful." She then noticed what particular flowers were in the bouquet. "Carnations and roses? Well, I don't like roses so much, but carnations are my favorite flowers! My dad used to get them for me all the time!"

"Well, seems like I chose right then. I wanted to thank you for showing me a good time today and cheering me up, and those flowers reflect that," Minato smiled.

"Thank you, Minato-kun. This means a lot to me; I'm glad I could help," Yukari smiled. She then walked up to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

**SMASH!**

_** "Thou shalt have our blessing when creating Personas of the Lovers Arcana…"**_

A blushing Yukari then took the bouquet of gerberas from Minato. "I'm going to go put both these bouquets in some water; I'll be right back." She then dashed upstairs, leaving a stunned and blushing Minato.

"Ah-hem."

Minato snapped out of his daze and saw that Akihiko and Hamuko were giving him mocking glares. "What?" he asked.

"Who was it that said 'There is NOTHING going on between me and Yukari-chan'?" Hamuko asked. "And I believe it was on more than one occasion. Do you know, sempai?"

"Why, yes I do, Hamuko-san. I believe it was young Minato here; however, after seeing that little scene, I'm inclined to believe otherwise," Akihiko replied in a mocking tone.

"Hey!" Minato blushed some more. "There really is nothing going on between us!"

"Sure, just keep telling yourself that," Hamuko teased her brother.

"If you keep up the smooth moves like that, Minato, there will be," Akihiko chuckled. "Casanova."

"Hey!" Minato blushed some more, eliciting more laughs from Hamuko and Akihiko.

* * *

And with that, our chapter comes to a close.

In case you didn't know, that one move Flareon used to knock out Minato was Flame Wheel.

Anyways, it seems there are more and more mysteries coming about here, some of which you're not quite paying attention to. Who is the Hierophant Social Link? What is this mysterious event in the Arisato twins' past I mentioned? Who are the Reaper and Jester and who do they work for? (Its NOT Nyx or Erebus) Is there a connection between Yukari and the Reaper? Why did the Reaper kill the twins' parents? Why did Yukari's father hire the twins' parents right before their deaths? (Read Chapter 9) What awaits SEES at the end of Thebel? Why does Jester have access to an account that use to belong to the twins' father? And how exactly will the Full Moon battle go down? In the meantime, next chapter, a certain character FINALLY makes his appearance, the creepy boy returns, and Elizabeth and Ikutsuki get screen time.

_**Green Midnight Dictionary:**_

**Kanzato Keitaro:** One of Arisato Jouhei's many aliases. Also the name of a character from Persona: Trinity Soul.

**Devil Summoner:** A sub-division of the Shin Megami Tensei series. In Green Midnight, it is an MMORPG that allows you to be a Devil Summoner and work alongside Raidou Kuzunoha the XIV. This takes the place of the Innocent Sin MMORPG from canon.

**Shin:** Minato's avatar in Devil Summoner. Directly based off of Kanzato Shin, the main character of Persona: Trinity Soul.

**Megami:** Hamuko's avatar in Devil Summoner. Directly based off of Kayano Megumi, a character from Persona: Trinity Soul.

**Raidou, Geirin, Kyouji, Okami: **The four different types of Kuzunohas. Okami is crafted by me, while the rest have appeared in SMT games.

**Tensei:** Toriumi's avatar in Devil Summoner. Looks exactly like her Maya avatar from canon.

**Zan:** In the Shin Megami Tensei series, Zan is a series of spells that use the element 'Force'. In many games, like Devil Summoner and Devil Survivor, this is the equivalent/replacement of Garu.

**Hamuko's power:** This chapter, Hamuko has unlocked her special ability. Where Akihiko has super speed and Mitsuru has clairvoyance, Hamuko has the power of teleportation. The best way to describe how it works is that it's like 'Flash Step' from Bleach or 'Hirashin no Jutsu/Flying Thunder God' from Naruto. She has to know where's she going or know EXACTLY who the person she wants to be with in order to teleport; she can't just randomly teleport. Also, her teleportation will not allow here to go through solid objects; if she is sealed completely within something, she cannot escape. However, she can escape through the tiniest of cracks.

**Entei:** Apparently, it is the Japanese word for 'Gardener', although I may be wrong on this one. I, like probably most of you will, associate that with the Legendary Pokémon from Johto.

**Gerebas:** A flower that symbolizes innocence, purity, and cheerfulness. They look like oddly colored sunflowers.

**Pink flowers:** The color pink, when associated with flowers, means friendship, purity, cute, and innocence.

**Pink carnations:** These flowers mean 'I'll never forget our friendship'. Pink carnations look like a flower a guy would wear in the breast pocket of their tuxedo/suit.

**Pink roses:** These flowers mean friendship and purity.

And because this chapter had a boss battle, you get stats!

**Minato:**

Lv: 10

HP: 145

SP: 97

Personas: Orpheus (Lv. 10), Apsaras (Lv. 9), Angel (Lv. 7), Lilim (Lv. 9)

Skills: Orpheus- Bash, Agi, Tarunda

Apsaras- Bufu, Posumudi, Sukunda

Angel- Garu, Patra, Sukukaja, Hama

Lilim- Agi, Bufu, Garu, Zio, Marin Karin, Rakukaja

**Hamuko:**

Lv: 10

HP: 140

SP: 100

Skills: Bash, Bufu, Rakunda

Special Ability: Teleportation

**Yukari:**

Lv. 10:

HP: 128

SP: 113

Skills: Dia, Charmdi, Garu, Patra

**Junpei:**

Lv 10:

HP: 155

SP: 79

Skills: Cleave, Agi, Re Patra

_**Social Link Stats:**_

**Fool-** SEES/Rank: 2

**Magician-** Kenji/Rank: 2

**Empress-** Mitsuru/Rank: 2

**Emperor-** Hidetoshi/Rank: 1

**Lovers-** Yukari/Rank: 3

**Chariot-** Kazushi/Rank: 1

**Hermit-** Hamuko/Rank: 1

**Devil-** Tensei/Rank: 1

**Tower-** Junpei/Rank: 1

**Star-** Akihiko/Rank: 1

**Cup-** Rio/Rank: 1

**Coin-** Bookworms/Rank: 1


	14. Chapter 14: Fangirl

Hello, and welcome to a new chapter of Green Midnight! First off, who's excited that a PERSONA game is coming to the DS? Mind you, it's the 3DS, but still! I'm pumped! I'm excited about the next few chapters, for it's going to be fun! This one especially! Time for reviews!

NightmareSyndrom: Not a bad translation of the prophecy. I'll do the Social Links however I want, but personally I think things are doing things differently. And I'm guessing its because Fuuka wasn't a Persona-user at that time.

Fan of Fanfics21: Correct!

SpecialAgentOrange: I must apologize. I really do want to answer your questions, but you've blocked other users from sending you PMs. It's not that I don't want to answer; it's that I can't. Enable other people to send messages, and I can respond. Anyways, your review. Allow me to explain about Minato's family. As the Arisatos grew up, they were brought up on the stories of the Kuzunohas. They are under the impression that their clan is that of detectives. Yes, they've heard the stories about 'Devil Summoners' and whatnot, but they only bought them as stories, nothing more. Even with the Dark Hour, they only bought them as stories, for they were told them as bedtime stories. If you've spent your whole life growing up being told such outlandish stories, would you believe them to be more than just tall tales? And, yes, there's more than meets the eye when it comes to the Arisatos/Shiroganes/Kuzunohas. No, Toriumi won't be an antagonist. The Devil Arcana represents ignorance, anxiety, doubt, insight, and obsession. That is why I chose the Devil Arcana for her. Thanks for you compliments on the 'date'. And you'll see a certain Magician be lulzy about Minato's date right with the chapter starts. And from reading your questions in the PM, I know you've really been thinking about Jester. As for what is Jester wanting them to see in Tartarus, a clue: she's forcing them to go up and up in Tartarus; in the game, you went up on your own volition. And remember, she knows everything that goes on in Tartarus, except the Velvet Room. And I do mean EVERYTHING.

Ravenwingcorps: Yes, prophecies are pesky. I say be happy at Hamuko's got her teleportation and hold out hope she gets what you want.

Craig: Like I've pointed out previously, Pokémon is Jester's gimmick for the Thebel block. Once we're in Arqa (that's after the Full Moon fight), we'll switch it up.

IStartedTheFire22: Yes, Minato fused all the Personas he had at that point to make Lilim. Don't worry; now that he can hold eight Personas (since he's LV. 10), he'll have more with him. Congratulations for figuring out where I got the basis for Jester's 'prophecy' from; I assume this means you also know what she's gonna sic on them next? Jester is NOT from another series, and you can say she's OC-ish. Yes, Shinji premiers and Pharos returns. And let's see, 14 is plot, 15 and 16 cover both plot and our battle with Jester, 17 is the buildup to the Priestess, so… Chapter 18 is your big showdown. I'm sure you'll like Yukari's and Minato's abilities. Junpei's, in particular, makes me grin because it fits him so well. As for Hierophant, no it is not an OC or a teacher. Another clue: What is associated with religion/spirituality in Persona 3, location-wise, and who is associated with it? Also, you were on the right track with Mutatsu, in a sense.

KageYami: In a sense, you could say that. As for who you've listed, you should already have a pretty good idea about Chidori's abilites. The others I shall remain quiet about. However, I will say that Takaya's ability fits him to a T.

Brandon Skyblade: I can tell you where Kanzato came from in 3 words: 'Persona: Trinity Soul.' Sorry, Minato will have plenty more of those moments. The blue butterfly is a shout out to the original way the MMO Social Link was done; the introduction message was given by 'PHIL'. Know anyone named Phil in the Persona-verse? Yes, that's what I meant. And if you think that battle was impressive, just you wait and see. No, its not that I cannot get enough of the mons; its that my research indicates that Entei REALLY does mean 'Gardener' in Japanese. Who knew? As for the meaning of the phrase 'Shin Megami Tensei', it means 'True Goddess Reincarnation'.

Patcheresu: Dude. Did you even read Green Midnight in full? The way you wrote your review tells me you probably skimmed it, if that. Also, you cannot presume what the readers want. You say the readers want Hamuko to have the Wild Card? I see only a single case of wishful thinking, not the frothing demand you seem to think they have. If anything, the readers LIKE what I'm doing, and while I have seen some constructive criticism and some pieces have their detractors, the readers like the story as a whole. Also, you were being hypocritical in your own review, saying I should emulate certain people when in a previous review, you said to go with my own style. Also, the Green Midnight Dictionary is not some lazy footnote system; it is to help the readers better understand the underlying MegaTen mythology and little known things that I incorporate in this story and to perhaps get my fans into other MegaTen games. And, do NOT challenge me like that. I'm going to ask you to stop reading this story, as you obviously aren't going to enjoy it from this point forward. To me, there's no point in reading a story if you won't enjoy it.

…Anyways, here we go with this chapter. I hope you all like!

**In-Game Date:** April 30, 2009 (Dark Hour)

* * *

**Chapter 14:** **_Fangirl_**

To escape Hamuko's relentless teasing, Minato volunteered himself for Shadow Patrol that night. And to make sure he wasn't going alone, he dragged Junpei along for the ride. Now, the two of them are patrolling the streets during the Dark Hour. "So, what exactly were Hamu-chan and Akihiko-sempai teasing you about?" Junpei randomly asked.

"Um… nothing," Minato shrugged.

"Yeah, right," Junpei called him out. "Now, come on. It can't be that bad. Were you out with Yuka-tan or something?"

"Well… yeah," Mianto replied. "It wasn't a date or anything like that; she was just cheering me up after what we down during our last confrontation with Jester."

"Oh, I see…" Junpei nodded. "I was down for a little bit as well. But chilling with Yuka-tan? I'd of figured Hamu-chan."

"Well, I dunno… it just happened," Minato shrugged, not sure what to make of it.

"So, does this mean you two are dating now?" Junpei asked. "Cause I think I saw Yuka-tan holding a bunch of flowers. Those from you?"

"They are, but they didn't mean anything romantically. It was for appreciation and friendship," Minato clarified.

"Sure…" Junpei gave a knowing grin. "And I'm a flying pig. But seriously, flowers are a nice gesture."

"Thanks," Minato smirked.

"So, how did you get them delivered? What did you say? I want tips, man! Anything to help me nab some ladies!" Junpei grinned cheekily.

"Hahaha. All right. But remember, I'm NOT dating Yukari-chan; we're just friends," Minato reminded him.

"Whatever you say…" Junpei shook his head, not buying Minato's argument.

**POP!**

"AAAH!" Junpei fell on his butt.

Out of nowhere, Arisato Hamuko suddenly appeared, startling the two boys. "Hamuko! How on earth!" Mianto gasped.

"Oh, aniki! Hi!" Hamuko waved.

**"Arisato! Is your sister with you?"** Mitsuru shouted.

"Yeah, she's here," Minato good.

**"Phew… Thank goodness,"** Mitsuru sighed in relief.

"Mind telling me what's going on?" Minato asked.

"Yeah. How did Hamu-chan just suddenly appear like that?" Junpei added.

**"Remember how I had theorized that Arisato-kohai unlocked her power and that I thought that power was teleportation?"** Mitsuru asked.

"Yeah, I remember," Minato nodded.

**"Well, she and I attempted to make her activate her power again,"** said Mitsuru.

"Yeah. She had me recall the entire battle, including what was going on my head. When I had punched out Jester, I wanted her to shut up so badly; when Flareon was about to attack aniki, I just wanted to protect him with everything I had," Hamuko explained.

"So, what does all that mean?" Junpei asked.

"It seems your power is tied into desire," Minato theorized.

**"Correct, Arisato. Like Akihiko and myself, her power is influenced by the trigger that activated her power,"** said Mitsuru.

"So, Mitsuru-sempai had me think of something I wanted and I thought of being by your side," Hamuko continued. "A moment later, here I am."

"So, basically, you think and desire where you wanna go and you just go there?" Minato asked.

"I think so, but I don't know my range," Hamuko shrugged.

"We're easily several blocks away," Junpei noted. "You think you can go to America or something?"

"Dunno. I also don't know if I can't take anyone with me when I teleport or if I can go from inside to outside," answered Hamuko.

"Sounds like you've got a way to go then," Minato said.

"Yeah, but I'll get this down, aniki," Hamuko smiled.

**"Okay, now I want you to try and get back here,"** Mitsuru ordered.

"Sure thing, sempai," Hamuko replied. "Well, you two have fun patrolling the streets, okay?"

"I will once we find some Shadows," Junpei chuckled. "And maybe rescue some people as well."

"Well, good luck with that," Hamuko replied. "Oh, and aniki?"

"Yeah, imoto?"

"MINATO AND YUKARI, SITTING IN A TREE! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" she sang out loud.

"Hamuko!" Mianto shouted.

"Hahahaha!" Hamuko laughed as she teleported away.

"So, you two have already kissed, eh?" Junpei wiggled his eyebrows. "Dude, does she use tongue?"

Minato could only smack his forehead in shame. _'Damn you Hamuko. Damn you. I'll get you for this.'

* * *

_

The next morning, as Minato was walking to school, Junpei caught up with him. "Hey! Minato!" Junpei called out. "What's up?"

"Nothing much, except for the fact that the teasing won't relent," Minato sighed.

"Well, you DID kinda walked into that one, you know?" Junpei smirked. "Anyways, I ran into Akihiko-sempai this morning; he said he's going to the hospital after school."

"The hospital? What for?" Minato asked.

"He's getting a check-up on his ribs. He says that, if all goes well, he'll get a clean bill of health and he'll be able to join us during the Dark Hour now!" Junpei grinned.

_'So, the additional healing DID help. Nice,'_ Minato smiled. "That'll be great. It'll be nice having another pair of hands on deck."

"Yeah. So, I was wondering: there's this cute girl in 2-A I want to try and ask out with flowers. Any ideas?" Junpei changed the subject.

"Well, I'd say yellow flowers. You can never go wrong with yellow. Whether they be roses, sunflowers, or daisies, yellow is a good color to break the ice, my mom taught me," Minato advised him.

"Sweet," Junpei grinned. "Anything else?"

"Yeah," Minato replied. "RUN."

"What?" Junpei looked confused. Minato pointed behind Junpei to clarify; Junpei looked over his shoulder to see a VERY angry Yukari quickly approaching.

"JUNPEI! HOW DARE YOU SAY I USE TONGUE!" Yukari shouted ferociously.

"What!" Junpei turned pale as he glared at Minato.

"Hey, don't look at me; imoto probably heard that comment and told Yukari-chan," Minato held his hands up. "But I do suggest running now if you want to live. Here, I'll hold her off for you; just get outta here and fast."

"Thanks!" Junpei shouted as he ran towards school.

As Minato went to intercept a very angry Yukari, he couldn't help but smirk. _'It's never boring with you around, Junpei.'_

**SMASH!**

_**"Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Tower Arcana…"**_

_'Now, let's hope I don't die for this…'

* * *

_

Lunchtime had come and Minato and his fellow S.E.E.S. members were enjoying lunch when Junpei brought up one particular subject. "Well, remember how I said that I ran into Akihiko-sempai this morning, saying he'd be going to the hospital?" Junpei asked.

"Yeah? What of it?" Minato wondered.

"Well, I ran into him again during lunch and he asked me to bring him something. Yup, he knows whom to count on," Junpei popped his collar up.

_'Guess sempai couldn't find anyone else to get the task done,'_ Minato internally chuckled.

"He only asked you because you don't have anything else after school," Yukari scoffed.

"Yeah, we have stuff like training and after-school activities, while you have just baseball, food, and television," Hamuko added.

_ 'Looks like I'm not the only one on that train of thought,'_ Minato smirked.

"Hey! I resent that!" Junpei frowned.

"We're only kidding, Junpei-kun," Hamuko chuckled. "Relax."

"So what exactly did he want you to bring?" Yukari asked.

"The class roster for 2-E," Junpei replied.

_ 'A class roster? What would he want with that? Recruits for boxing? Or… is he looking for Persona-users?'_ Minato realized.

"What would he want that for?" Yukari wondered.

"Is there someone in 2-E that he suspects of having the potential?" Hamuko asked.

"I was wondering the same thing, imoto," Minato said.

"Dude, another one of us in 2-E? That'd be pretty cool," Junpei smiled.

"Yeah, but who?" Yukari wondered. "Anyways, I don't have practice today, so I'll go with you, Junpei. Are you going to come as well, Mianto-kun and Hamuko-chan?"

"Sure, I'll tag along," Hamuko shrugged.

"Okay," Minato nodded.

"Cool," Yukari sounded pleased.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Junpei butted in.

"What is it, Junpei-kun? Is there a problem?" Hamuko asked.

"Well it was ME he asked…" he sighed.

"Oh, don't worry! We're just tagging along; you still get to deliver the roster," Hamuko chirped.

"Oh, okay," Junpei's demeanor did a one-eighty.

* * *

Later on, everyone had arrived at the hospital to meet up with Akihiko. After being directed to where he was, the group wandered over to one of the many hospital rooms to see him. However, when then wandered inside, they didn't find Akihiko, but someone else.

Sitting in the room was a shifty-looking young man with a scowl on his face. He had shoulder-length brown hair, mostly hidden by a grey beanie he wore. He wore a long, maroon pea-coat, black slacks, and a pair of Western-style boots. He stared at the four members of S.E.E.S. like they were an insipid poison.

_'This guy looks like he could tear my head off AND kill me on a whim!'_ Minato observed the young man.

"Um…" Junpei took the initiative. "Is… Is Akihiko-sempai…" The man in the beanie let out a low growl. "…in this room by any chance?"

"Tch," the angry man spat.

The room grew silent for a moment as the tension mounted. _'This feeling… is this… killing intent?'_ Minato shuddered.

"What are you guys doing here?" Everyone looked to see that Akihiko had entered the room, a small smile on his face.

"We came here to see you, sempai!" Yukari informed him. "But… it doesn't look like there's anything wrong with you."

"I'm only here for a checkup, Takeba," Akihiko replied.

"Tch," the grouchy teen stood up. "Is that it, Aki?"

"Yeah, thanks," Akihiko nodded.

_'These two know each other?' _Minato wondered.

"Tch, I don't have time for this shit," the coat-wearing man grumbled as he pushed Junpei out of the way and walked out of the hospital room.

_'Damn! That guy just knocked Junpei down without a second thought!'_ Minato gasped.

"Who…Who was that?" Junpei gasped as he got back up.

"That was a friend from school… sort of," Akihiko explained. "You know how the number of Apathy Syndrome cases have been increasing?"

"No, not really; I haven't been paying attention to that recently; been too busy with school and the Shadows," Minato apologized.

"Well, anyways, my friend there knows a few people who are suffering from it, so I was asking him about it," said Akihiko.

"You were asking him about it?" Minato asked. "Does that mean he knows anything about the Shadows or Tartarus or the Dark Hour?"

"It doesn't really matter," Akihiko sighed. "He plays by his own rules."

"So he's a Persona-user then?" Minato asked.

"Yeah… but was a lifetime ago…" Akihiko frowned.

_'An ex-member of S.E.E.S? Who exactly was that guy?'_ Minato wondered.

"Anyways, Junpei," Akihiko changed the subject. "Did you bring what I asked for?"

"Of course, senpai!" Junpei pulled out the roster and gave it to Akihiko. "You can always count on Junpei."

"Yeah. You can count on him like he can count to ten," Yukari teased.

"I resent that!" Junpei grumbled as he crossed his arms.

"Oh, relax Junpei; Takaba is only teasing," Akihiko jokingly punched Junpei in the arm.

"Um… sempai? You shouldn't move your arm like that…" Junpei seemed concerned.

"It's nothing. The doctors just gave me a clean bill of health. The extra healing Mitsuru and Takeba have been giving me really sped up the recovery; I'd of been sidelined for at least two more weeks without them," Akihiko smiled.

"You're welcome, Akihiko-sempai," Yukari replied. "Does this mean that…"

"Yes. Starting tonight, I'll be able to join you for expeditions into Tartarus or Shadow Patrols through the city," Akihiko finished her train of thought.

"Sweet…" Junpei grinned.

"I'm happy to hear that. Does that mean you want to be leader?" Minato asked. "If so, I don't mind giving it to you; you're the veteran here and probably much better than me…"

"Actually, for now, I'd like for you to remain as field leader," said Akihiko.

"What? Seriously?" a surprised Minato gasped.

"Seriously. I've been out of commission for nearly a month now, so I'll need some time to get back into shape. Until then, you can continue leading the team; you've been doing a good job so far, despite everything that's happened. Who knows? Even after I'm back up to snuff, I may let you lead regardless," Akihiko answered.

"Really? Well, I… thanks…" Minato felt honored as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. _'Well, I hope I can live up…'_

"Anyways, I've wasted enough time as is," Akihiko sighed. "I need to get back to my training."

"Yeah! Gekkoukan's golden boy!" Junpei pumped his fists into the air. "He was born to be in the ring!"

"Sometimes, I just don't get you," Akihiko had a puzzled look on his face.

"Neither do I…" Yukari rolled her eyes.

_'He's an enigma to us all…'_ Minato looked at Junpei with a 'Why me?' expression.

"By the way, Sempai, why boxing?" Yukari suddenly asked.

"You mean, why did I choose that sport? Well... It's not the sport itself I like; I just wanted to learn how to fight," Akihiko explained. "I know what it's like to feel powerless..."

_ 'Powerless? What is he talking about? Did he fail to accomplish something?'_

"…And I don't want to feel that way again," he sighed. "Besides, I'm curious to see how strong I can get. It's like a game, only I'm competing against myself."

"That's an interesting way of looking at it," Junpei seemed deep in thought.

_'Wait, Junpei deep in thought? Has hell frozen over? Are those pigs I see in the sky?'_

"Ya know, I'm into games too…" Junpei proudly announced.

"Yeah, VIDEO games," Yukari sneered.

"Hey, they're good for hand-eye coordination!" he argued.

"He is right, Yukari-chan," Minato interrupted. "You should play a couple of video games; improved hand-eye coordination could mean better performance with your bow." Yukari, Junpei, and Akihiko just looked at Minato with dumfounded expressions. "What?" Minato raised an eyebrow.

"You… AGREE with Junpei?" Akihiko asked.

"Well, yeah; he makes a good point," Minato shrugged.

"Just wanted to be clear…" Akihiko nodded.

"…Damn, you DO have a point," Yukari forced the words out.

"Can I get a HELL YEAH!" Junpei held his hand up, to which Minato gave him a high-five. As Minato gave Junpei the high-five, he happened to glance over at his sister; she had the oddest expression on her face, like she had been clubbed in the back of the head.

"Hamuko?" Minato called out to his sister. "You okay?"

The others noticed Hamuko's odd expression and became worried.

"Hamuko-chan, hello? You there?" Yukari waved her hand in Hamuko's face.

"Hey! Hamu-chan! You've been oddly quiet this whole time! What gives?" Junpei shouted.

"Maybe I should get a nurse…" Akihiko contemplated.

**'Now I face up, I hold up, I reach out to the truth…'**

Confused by the sudden call, Minato answered his phone.

"Hello?" he spoke into the phone.

**"Arisato?"**

"Mitsuru-sempai?" he recognized the voice.

** "Oh, good. I caught you just in time. I highly advise you all to cover your ears NOW. I just had a vision, and trust me, you'll want to cover your ears," **Mitsuru warned him.

"Why would I want to do that?" Minato asked. "I'm more concerned about imoto…"

**"Your sister will be fine, but trust me: COVER YOUR EARS,"** Mitsuru repeated her warning before hanging up.

"Who was that?" Akihiko asked.

"Mitsuru-sempai. She said she had a vision and warned us to cover our ears, but I don't know why," Minato relayed the message.

Akihiko nodded and immediately covered his ears. "Trust me. Do as she says," he warned them.

Junpei, Yukari, and Minato covered their ears, wondering why they were doing this.

_'Why are we doing this?'_ Minato wondered as he looked at Hamuko. Hamuko's face slowly formed into a large, creepy smile, and her chest began to puff up. _'Wait… I know that look… Don't tell me… OH HOLY SHIT!'_

**"!"**

Hamuko had let out a shriek so high-pitched, it could barely be heard by human ears. If they had not been covering their ears, the dog whistle-like scream would've knocked them out cold.

"What the hell was that!" Junpei demanded to know.

"The most feared thing in all of history…" Akihiko groaned.

"The bane of all men of beauty, wealth, fame, or power…" Minato shuddered.

"THE FANGIRL SQUEE."

"But what would make Hamuko-chan screech like that?" Yukari wondered.

"Ohmygodheissohot!" Hamuko bounced up and down.

"What on earth?" Junpei looked at Hamuko awkwardly.

"Fangirl speak," Minato rubbed his forehead. "Let me fix this."

"Thatguyissuchabee…"** SMACK!**

Minato had struck Hamuko across the face with an open palm, stopping her fangirl stupor. "Minato! What the hell!" Yukari growled.

"Ugh…" Hamuko shook her head. "What happened?"

"What happened is that you let out this deafening squeak before speaking gibberish and then your brother slapped you!" Yukari informed her.

Hamuko instantly paled and looked at her brother. "Aniki, was I…" Minato slowly nodded. "Oh god…" she shuddered. "Yukari-chan, don't be mad at Minato, okay? He only did exactly as I asked him to."

"What?" Yukari was surprised at how well Hamuko was taking it.

"Hamuko made me promise her that if she ever became a fangirl, that I'd slap her and snap her out of it," Minato replied.

"Oh! I remember that! That was the day we first met Kurosawa-san! Akihiko-sempai was surrounded by all those girls at school!" Junpei recalled.

"Don't remind me…" Akihiko rubbed his forehead in frustration.

"Well… I guess it's okay…" Yukari seemed uncertain, but let the subject go. "Anyways, what was with the fangirling?"

"That man…" Hamuko sighed. "I don't know why, but when I saw him, my heart fluttered and this warm feeling spread throughout my body, like in one of those romance mangas."

"Ooo. Is Hamu-chan in love with the jerk?" Junpei smirked.

"Hamuko-san, Shinji's not the type of person you want to be together with; you're better off finding someone else," Akihiko warned her.

"Shinji? That's his name? What a name…" Hamuko happily sighed.

"Hamuko…" Minato lowly growled at his sister.

"Oh!" Hamuko realized she was slipping. "Sorry."

"Geez, imoto. I haven't seen such a freak out from you since the time you lost your ring," Minato facepalmed.

"Ring? What ring?" Junpei asked.

"This ring," Hamuko held up her right hand. On her middle finger, she wore a ring. It was a simple ring with no jewels on it; however, it had green, black, and yellow stripes that covered it.

"That's a unique ring, Hamuko-san," Akihiko looked at the ring. "Where did you get it?"

"To be honest, I don't know. I've always had this ring with me and I consider it my lucky charm; it makes me feel that something's looking out for me," Hamuko fondly stared at her ring.

"Yeah, you should've seen her when she lost it for two hours that one time; she was as freaky as she was a couple of minutes ago," Minato told them.

"Was not!" Hamuko shouted.

"Was too!" Minato shouted back.

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

* * *

That evening, as he calmly walked back into the dorm alone, Minato began hearing a beeping sound. "What on earth is beeping?" Minato wondered. He looked down to see that that his wristband was flashing. "My wristband flashes?" As he looked closer, he noticed that the screen had a message.

"Call from: Elizabeth," Minato read the message aloud. "This thing takes calls? I wonder what she wants," Minato pressed the button on his wristband, causing Elizabeth to appear on-screen.

"Ah, Minato-san, I'm glad I caught you," Elizabeth greeted him. "I need to talk to you."

"What is it?" Minato asked.

"I would like for you to please come to the Velvet Room; there is a matter we need to discuss," she informed him.

"What is this matter?" Minato wondered.

"I would prefer to discuss this in private; you may use the alternate entrance located in Paulownia Mall," said Elizabeth.

"Wait, the other entrance is open now? Sweet. Where in Paulownia Mall is it?" Minato wanted to know.

"You'll have to find the door on you own," she told him. "...I'll see you soon." Elizabeth disappeared from the screen.

"Well, THAT was odd," Minato remarked. "Then again, just about everything that's occurred to me in the last month has been odd."

* * *

"So, tell me why exactly why we're doing Shadow Patrol at Paulownia Mall tonight, Arisato?"

"Well, Mitsuru-sempai, you ordered me to inform you as soon as I got new information about the Velvet Room, and this info might benefit you," Minato answered.

"Well, whatever. It feels good to FINALLY be able to be out again," Akihiko grinned. "I honestly hope we find some Shadows."

"You still have to take it easy, Akihiko," Mitsuru warned him. "You right arm is still somewhat weak due to your rib injury. You'll have to fight with your off hand for now."

"I know, but I can use the exercise," Akihiko smirked.

"Just be careful, okay?" Mitsuru couldn't help but smile.

_'They seem like a married couple. Are they… Well, whatever. None of my business,'_ Minato brushed off the thought.

* * *

As the Dark Hour came, Minato managed to locate the entrance to the Velvet Room, hidden behind the stairs that lead to the karaoke. Leaving Mitsuru and Akihiko to serve as lookouts, Minato entered the Velvet Room, only to find just Elizabeth there.

"I'm glad you could make it," Elizabeth greeted him as Minato sat down.

"Where is Igor?" Minato asked.

"My master has other matters to attend to, but do not worry; whenever you need him, he'll be there for you," she nodded. "Anyways, as to why I've called you here…"  
"What is it? Is there something I need to do?" Minato asked.

"You can say that," Elizabeth replied. "I am truly sorry to bother you, but... I have a big favor to ask."

"A favor? What are you talking about?" a confused Minato asked.

"You see… I have been looking for someone with exceptional strength. It's been quite some time since we've had a visitor worthy of our attention. If you don't mind, will you accept my requests?" she asked him. "Of course, as each request is completed, I will have a reward for you."

"So, you want me to do requests for you in exchange for rewards?" Minato summed up what she had asked. "What kind of rewards?"

"It could be anything from money to items to weapons to powerful Personas to add to your arsenal," she held her arms out wide, symbolizing infinite possibilities. "The type of request will determine your reward."

"Okay, I think I get it," Minato nodded.

"Oh, another thing: these requests are not high priority, so feel free to do them whenever you can; when you do complete a request, come see me, where I can confirm completion of the request and reward you then and there. Also, some of my requests may be time-sensitive, so if you want the reward attached to the request, I suggest completing it promptly," she advised him.

"And how will I know what these requests are?" Minato wondered.

"You can find a list of all my requests on your wristband, along with their corresponding rewards," Elizabeth pointed to Minato's wristband. "However, to have the full details of a request, you will have to come and see me in person."

"Ah, okay then," Minato said.

"Oh, I just remember, you already completed one of my requests," Elizabeth remembered. "You used the Fusion Spell Cadenza, so I shall reward you." She then handed Minato a small burlap bag; he reached into the bag and pulled out some red gems.

"Are these… rubies?" Minato studied the stones.

"No, these are special gems," Elizabeth smiled as she took one of the gems. "Each gem contains the power of one Agilao spell, the spell above Agi. Throw the gem at an enemy and it will be consumed by the spell's flames." She then handed the gem over to Minato, who gently put it way.

"Wow. That'd be useful. So, exactly how many gems are in here?" Minato asked her.

"There are twenty Agilao Gems in that bag," she said.

"Twenty? Wow. Thanks, Elizabeth-san," Minato bowed in his chair.

"Anytime. If you need more Agilao Gems, please see me, and for a modest fee, I'll supply you with more gems. When you earn the other kinds of gems and any other items that I give you as rewards as well, I'll sell you duplicates of those as well," she explained.

"Sweet," Minato smiled. "So, what kinds of requests do I have to do…" Minato went to his wristband. "Beat this Shadow, collect that item, a double date with Elizabeth, get a document at the barri… What? A double date?"

"That is correct. I wish for you and a female of your choice to escort both my brother and myself around Paulownia Mall. We would like for you to complete this task within the next week if possible," she explained.

"You have a brother?" Minato stared at her intensely.

"A younger brother. I also have an older sister as well," Elizabeth replied.

"There's three of you?" Minato whispered. _'Why do I have the weirdest feeling I am royally screwed?'_

"Affirmative," she answered. _'Yep, I'm royally screwed.'

* * *

_

"There you are, Arisato," Mitsuru greeted him as he walked out of Paulownia Mall and into the eeriness of the Dark Hour. "What did you learn?"

"That I'm now suppose to be an errand boy for Elizabeth," he answered.

"Errands?" Akihiko looked at him confusingly.

"Yeah, I know. Weird, huh?" Minato smirked.

"Definitely," Mitsuru nodded in agreement.

"Anyways, I have a favor to ask of you, Mitsuru-sempai. Would you mind going on a double date with me, Elizabeth, and her brother on Sunday?" he asked her.

"Say what now?" Mitsuru looked like she swallowed a frog while Akihiko looked at Minato like he was nuts.

* * *

The next morning, as Minato was walking to school with Akihiko, they happened to overhear two students talking, a guy and girl. "Golden Week starts tomorrow. Have you got any plans?" the guy asked.

"Not really," his female companion shrugged. "But I'm not gonna miss tomorrow's show!"

"Oh, yeah! You mean Tanaka's show, right?" the guy snapped his fingers loudly. "When I hear that jingle, I can't resist buying something... I never miss it when it's on Sunday afternoons. I'm about to go broke!"

"Then I suggest you get a job!" the girl chastised her friend as they walked off.

"Ugh… Tanaka's Amazing Commodities…" Minato groaned. "They're such crap."

"I know," Akihiko agreed. "I got suckered into buying of Tanaka's toning belts once."

"You didn't!" Minato gasped.

"I did," Akihiko sighed. "Got the trinket because coach said my abs needed work. The damn belt got stuck and it took Mitsuru and me six hours to get the damn thing off. And the worst part is that it that it didn't tone; it tickled! Heaven help me, that's almost as bad as the fangirls."

"And that is why I never buy from Tanaka," Minato huffed, crossing his arms. "But I can NEVER get that damn theme of his out of my head! Da da da! Da da da! Jika Net Tanaka! GAH!"

"No, don't get me started!" Akihiko took off, desperately trying to avoid the earworm.

* * *

Lunchtime had come for Minato and company. As he was settling in with his bento, the door to the classroom opened up and Rio walked in. "Rio-san!" Minato greeted her. "What'cha doing here?"

"Congratulations, Arisato; you're on the team," Rio replied. "Your sister is as well."

"Good job, you two!" Kenji and Kaz appeared. "Welcome to the tennis team!"

"Yay!" Hamuko cheered.

"I'm all pumped up now," Minato smirked. "So, what happens now?"

"Today, we gather all the new recruits to the tennis courts and we run them through the ringer. We'll also be giving you your uniforms as well," she informed them.

"Be ready, you two; Kanou-sensei and Nakajima-sensei are ruthless, almost as ruthless as Rio here," Kenji joked.

"Watch it, Kenji. You know you're always welcome to join them as well," Rio smirked.

"Um… you're the bestest friend ever and I'm a baka who doesn't know his place!" Kenji hastily replied.

"Good to see you know your place," Rio smirked at her friend. "Anyways, you two be ready after school for practice, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," Minato nodded.

"We'll be there," Hamuko smiled.

"And you two better be there too!" Rio pointed at Kaz and Kenji.

"Gotcha!" both men saluted.

"Good. I'll see you all later," Rio turned around and left the room.

"Dude. Rio-chan's got you whipped BIG TIME," Kaz laughed.

"She's one scary woman, and she's my best friend at that," Kenji shook his head. "A volatile combination."

_ 'Why is it that pretty much all the women I know here are scary?'

* * *

_

"Move it, move it, move it!" Rio shouted as the team went through their drills.

"Good heavens, how many times is she going to make us swing this racket?" Minato groaned.

"As many times as it takes to satisfy her sadistic streak," Kenji snickered.

"Yeah, when she gets like that, it'll take FOREVER to get her to relax," Kaz added as he swung his racket hard.

"I know she's pretty much the captain of both teams, but geez, she needs a chill pill," Hamuko groaned as she swung her racket for the hundredth time. "Why on earth aren't the coaches coaching!"

"What was that!" Rio immediately glared in their direction.

"Nothing!" all four of them quickly replied.

"If you've got time for nothing, you've got time to swing! Move faster!" Rio shouted as the four tennis members picked up their pace.

_ 'Is it too late for me to join the Kendo team instead?'

* * *

_

"Ugh… my side is killing me," Kaz groaned as the exercises came to an end.

"I can barely stand," Kenji leaned against a fence. "I need some food!"

"Oh, toughen up, you weenies!" Hamuko teased. "It's not that bad!"

"Please, imoto, your legs are quaking just as bad as mine!" Minato pointed out. "You're just as exhausted as the rest of us!"

"Well, maybe…" she nervously chuckled.

"Heh, I'll toughen up, Hamuko-chan," Kaz smirked as he caught his breath. "Anyways… I'm surprised that you two managed to keep up with Rio's regimen; most rookies would collapse about halfway through. What kind of training have you two been doing?"

"Special training!" Hamuko chirped through her exhaustion.

_'Well, I guess you can call fighting the Beasts of the Night during an hour no one knows of as special training,'_ Minato inwardly chuckled.

"That's what I thought," Kaz shook his head in amusement. "No wonder you're able to keep up with me and Kenji…"

"Dude, we're just lucky we're able to survive Rio's training; if you had flunked out, not only would the twins here have gotten an earful, I'd be getting an asskicking for suggesting weenies!" Kenji wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Gee, thanks for having confidence in us," Minato's eyes rolled in annoyance.

"Heh, sorry," Kenji shrugged off the comment.

"…I've made up my mind!" Kaz shot up, spooking all those around him. "From now on, you're going to be my rival, Minato!"

"Say what now?" Minato looked at him like he normally looked at Junpei.

"You and I will be rivals! We'll push ourselves to be stronger and one day, I will beat you!" Kaz pointed right at Minato.

"Sure thing," Minato smirked. "Let's do our best, okay?"

**SMASH!**

_**"Thou shalt have our blessings when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Chariot Arcana…"**_

"Hey!" Rio approached them. "Practice was over ten minutes ago. Clear the courts now or I won't be held responsible for you!"

"Yes, ma'am!" the four players replied.

As they got up to leave, Kaz suddenly fell to the ground, clutching his knee. "Augh!" he shouted in pain as Rio and Minato reached him first.

"You okay?" Minato asked him.

"…My knee…" Kaz croaked out. "I think I twisted it…"

"I see…" Rio nodded. "Kenji! Get over here! You and Arisato will help him to the nurse's office. Hamuko-san, run ahead to the nurse and inform him of what happened. I'll go get something for the knee." With that, the girls ran off to complete their tasks as Minato and Kenji helped Kaz to the nurse's office.

* * *

As night fell, the twins returned to the dorm, where they found Mitsuru and Ikutsuki chatting it up. "Ah, hello you two," Ikutsuki greeted them. "It's been awhile since I've seen you. I'd of been by sooner, but the school's been keeping me busy these last couple of weeks."

"It has. What are you doing here?" Minato asked.

"Mitsuru has been catching me up on everything that's been going on recently," Ikutsuki informed them.

"Everything?" Minato quirked an eyebrow. _'She didn't go blabbing about Igor, did she?'_

"Everything that the Chariman needs to know," Mitsuru replied.

"Yes. I have been informed about this 'Jester' character roaming the halls of Tartarus," Ikutsuki nodded. "Such a terrifying thought that we have someone like her to deal with. Shadows are normally mindless creatures, but she can think, and that is what makes her dangerous. I've also been made aware that the female Arisato has awakened to her special ability. Congratulations."

"Thank you," Hamuko bowed.

"And I've also been informed about the Reaper. You have my condolences," he continued. "Other than that, I've been given progress on your elemental training, how well you've been integrating with everyone, and your progress into the Tower. Keep up the good work, Minato-kun."

"Thanks," Minato shook hands with the Chairman.

"Oh! That reminds me! I know we started off on the wrong foot, so I wanted to get you two something a little special," Ikutsuki smiled as he reached into his coat pocket, pulling out two boxes, handing one to Minato and one to Hamuko.

"What are these?" Minato examined his box, trying to figure out what was inside.

"Why don't you open them and see?" Ikutsuki smiled.

"Okay…" Minato sighed as he opened his box; inside he found a tiny webcam. "A webcam?" _'Ironic, seeing as how a camera has given him my ire.'_

"Yes, a webcam. I realize that, as a teenager forced to take on a heavy burden, things might get tough from time to time. So, I figured you could do something like a video journal. This webcam hooks wirelessly to your wristband, so that way you can reference your videos whenever you need to," Ikutuski explained.

"I see… Well, I might have some use for that," Minato stowed the camera into his jacket pocket.

"Now, how about you open yours, Hamuko-chan?" Ikutuski suggested.

"Sure," Hamuko went to open her box and her eyes widened as she saw what was inside. Minato peered over to see what she had gotten.

"…A Nintendo DS? You got her a Dual Screen?" Minato looked at the device questionably.

"No, no. While it is indeed based on a Dual Screen, it is something MUCH more brilliant. THIS is Hamuko-chan's new Evoker," Ikutsuki smiled.

"What?" Minato and Hamuko stared at the Chairman.

"Chairman-san, are you serious?" Mitsuru asked. "A portable gaming system as an Evoker?"

"I am serious, Mitsuru," Ikutsuki nodded. "We of the Kirijo group recently made a contract with Nintendo to create a media system to counter the massive popularity that is Apple's products. Using the DS as a base, we've created a new media system that we call 'Communication Players' or 'COMPs' for short. One of our programmers, a brilliant man by the name of Naoya, came up with the brilliant idea of using electronics and harnessing the power of the Internet to create the necessary conditions to summon a Persona. Therefore, we combined the two into the COMP in Hamuko-san's hands."

"You serious?" Hamuko took the COMP into her hands and studied it.

"I am serious. In addition to Evoking, it can do everything your wristband can do, it can play all DS games like a normal DS, browse the web, text message, make video calls, and even play music," Ikutsuki rattled off the COMPs capabilities.

"Wow," Minato whistled. _'Damn, she's got all the bells and whistles. I think I may want one.'_

"So, how exactly do I summon Eurydice with this?" Hamuko wondered as she turned the COMP on.

"Simple, as long as the COMP is on, just will your Persona out and give it commands as usual. It can even be in Sleep mode and you can still summon. So long as you are within ten feet of your COMP, you will be able to summon," said Ikutuski, pushing up his glasses.

"And how will I prevent anyone else from using my COMP, like Junpei?" Hamuko asked.

_'Knowing Junpei, he'd run it into the ground,'_ Minato chuckled.

"Oh, that's easy; after summoning for the first time, the COMP will automatically lock onto your Persona's signature. Only someone with that signature will be able to use it after that," Ikutsuki rattled off his answer.

"Ah, I see…" Hamuko nodded.

"Still, I'd recommend keeping your normal Evoker, just in case," he advised.

"I understand," Hamuko heeded his advice.

"Chairman-san, I don't recall being told anything about this COMP business. As the heir, I am required to know of all business deals with the Kirijo Group," Mitsuru glared at the Chairman.

"My apologizes, Mitsuru. This was a top-secret project that not even you were meant to know about. We haven't even made an official announcement yet about the COMP; we were planning on revealing it at the Tokyo Game Show this year, with a release for next spring," he explained.

"I see… Well, do NOT let this happen again, or I shall have to deal with you," Mitsuru glared at her superior, making him sweat and gulp.

_ 'Damn! That woman never stops being scary!'_ Minato involuntarily took a step back.

"Wait, so this is a prototype?" Hamuko asked.

"In a sense," Ikutsuki confirmed his answer. "While we could release it now, minus the Dark Hour-related stuff of course, we have so much more planned for COMPs. So, from time to time, I may give you an upgraded version of your COMP. All I ask in exchange is that you don't go losing or selling it."

"Don't worry; I'll keep this with me at all times," Hamuko mischievously grinned.

Ikutsuki then noticed that Minato looked a tad somber. "…You look down, Minato-kun. Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Minato replied.

"You want one too, don't you?" the Chairman smirked.

"Well, it is a nice thing you did give her…" Minato sighed.

"I thought as much, which is why I got you one as well," Ikutsuki pulled out another box from his coat.

"Seriously?" Minato took the box and opened it, finding another COMP inside. "Whoa! Sweet! Thanks!" _'Whoo! I got me something sweet! The Chairman may be a doofus, but he gives great gifts!'_

"I'm glad you both like your gifts. I hope this makes up for my incompetence," Ikutsuki smiled.

"Let bygones be bygones," Hamuko replied, still admiring her COMP.

"Agreed," Minato nodded, admiring his COMP just as much.

"I'm glad. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a documentary on bears that I've wanted to see. I'm beary excited to watch this beary awesome movie. I hope you all have a beary awesome evening and enjoy the COMP," Ikutsuki smiled before departing.

_'He still makes those damn puns…'_ Minato groaned.

* * *

"Prepare for trouble!"

"Make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Rio!"

"Kenji!"

"Team Tartarus blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Kaz! That's right!"

"Ugh…" Minato groaned as he pulled his hat over his eyes. "Team Tartarus. How many times do we have to go through this?"

"As many times as it takes to get that Pikachu!" Rio yelled, her gloved hand forming a fist at Minato.

"You guys are just annoying," Yukari huffed.

"Seriously, this is just too much…" Junpei sighed.

"Fine, you want Pikachu? You can have him," Minato shrugged as Pikachu jumped to the ground. "Go! Thun…"

"HEY!"

The two teams turned to see that five very irate people had shown up; the most irate was the one in front, clad in his signature hat.

"Satoshi!" Minato gasped. "And Kasumi, Takeshi, AND Team Rocket!"

"This is our franchise!" Satoshi yelled at them. "Stop using it and go back to your own! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt NOW!"

Minato's Pikachu suddenly turned around, looking at him evilly.

"Pi… Ka… CHU!"

* * *

"WAAAH!" Minato fell out of his bed, landing on his rear. _'Dammit, Jester's caused me to have Pokémon on the brain! That was one hell of a dream!'_ As Minato shook off the adrenaline rush and the pain, he realized that his room was eerie green, signaling that it was now the Dark Hour. _'It's Green Midnight right now. Hamuko and Akihiko are out on Shadow Patrol right now. I wonder how those two are doing,'_ Minato thought.

"Hi, how are you?"

Minato instantly snapped to his senses as the creepy, effeminate voice called out. He quickly looked around to see a black haired, blue-eyed young boy sitting on Minato's bed, looking right at him.

"You!" Minato pointed at the intruder. "I remember you! You're that boy from the night I arrived here!" The boy just chuckled as he hopped off the bed and walked right up to Minato.

"I'm glad to see you remember me," the boy gave a slasher smile.

_'Ugh…'_ Chills went up Minato's back. _'I'm definitely not liking this.'_

"It's been awhile; are you well?" the boy whispered to Minato.

"Uh… I'm okay…" Minato responded, cautious of the boy in his room.

"That's good," the boy's smile softened. "I came to give you a warning: In one week, there will be a full moon. Be careful. A new ordeal awaits you…"

"Full moon? New ordeal? What are you talking about? You're sounding just like Jester," Minato frowned.

"Ah, yes, the clown that inhabits the Tower of Demise," the boy nodded. "Before the new ordeal, you will have to deal with her. If you cannot surpass her, then you be unable to overcome the ordeal."

"You know, don't you? You know what she has planned. Mind letting me in on the scoop? What is the meaning behind her cryptic message?" Minato pried, hoping for answers.

"I cannot say; however, I can say that the answer lies within," the boy replied.

_'Drat. I struck out on that one.'_ "Then what can you tell me about this new ordeal? And what's this about the full moon?" Minato changed the subject, still hoping for answers.

"I don't really know. What I do know is that on such days, you will encounter one of THEM," the boy warned, his smile changing to a frown.

"One of them? Who or what is 'them'?" Minato inquired. "A Shadow? Someone like Jester or the Reaper? Another Persona-user?"

"I cannot say," the boy shook his head. "However, I do know that you MUST prepare for the ordeal and conquer the clown's test if you are to be ready for the trials ahead. Time is of the essence, but I'm sure you already know that…" The boy began walking backwards, fading into the shadows of Minato's room.

"I'll see you again when this is all over. Farewell for now…." the boy disappeared into the darkness.

_'Just peachy. In addition to Jester, the Reaper, and Tartarus, he's back. Can I trust his words? If he's right, then something's going down in one week. What on earth am I going to do now? Ugh… I would appreciate some help here!'

* * *

_

And we've reached the end of the chapter. I hope this was up to snuff. Anyways, next chapter, we've got a double date involving Elizabeth and Minato, Golden Week Social Linking, and that showdown with Jester we've all been waiting for. Because that particular battle will be split over 2 chapters, I want to release them back-to-back, so the next release will take longer than usual, so I apologize in advance!


	15. Chapter 15: Date

Welcome to a new chapter of Green Midnight! Persona 3 Portable is out NOW! Go get it! And for those who've been following me on YouTube, I hope you've been enjoying the Persona Music Live songs, especially the remix of Wiping All Out, WHICH KICKS ASS. Anyways, reviews!

Grayjack72: Personally, I'm also hoping for a Persona 2 remake as well. I want it to be both Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment in one game. Although, if it's a P4 remake, a port of P3P, or the much desired PERSONA 5 (which I can CONFIRM is in development, just not for which system), I'll still be very excited.

NightmareSyndrom: Don't worry about it; I'm only playing it up for laughed. Its not meant to be taken seriously. Pharos knows about Jester because he sees everything Minato does and knows everything he knows; its neither theory you listed. And I see you've figured out who the Hierophant Link is. Congratulations.

Fan of Fanfics21: Yup yup.

Trickymander: Yes, a COMP. There's a reason for that. My theory is that you can only summon via card if you've accepted your other self/Shadow, via Persona 4. If not, then you have to summon via artificial means (Evoker, drugs, crazy, etc…). That is what I'm going to run with for Green Midnight.

SpecialAgentOrange: Glad to see your PMs are back up. I've already responded to your questions. As for your review, I'm glad you find it humorous because this story is running on Rule of Funny whenever it can. And you'll definitely learn some stuff in the near future, and you pay VERY CLOSE ATTENTION, this chapter as well. As for Nintendo/Kirijo, Kirijo's going behind their back with this, which is why Ikutsuki asked them NOT to lose it. As for Naoya and the COMP, you've never heard of Devil Survivor, have you? It's a MegaTen game for the DS and it is awesome. Go find it and play it. Naoya was nothing more than a shout-out; I don't anticipate him having further impact on this story.

Fenruer Intun: I thank you for all the errors that you pointed out; that helps. Even with a beta, not everything can be caught. Yes, an Angry Yukari = Awesome Yukari. I loved your comments. They're funny!

MK: Level 66 at THAT point? Damn. Five more levels and you can take on Nyx! And the sword's coming up fast!

Brandon Skyblade: I love reading your reviews for they're so funny. I dunno what Elizabeth's last name is, or if she even has one.

Ravenwingcorps: Yes, I do. You'll see it this chapter. Next Jester moment is this chapter!

Gefallenen Engel/Rina-Tan: I'm glad you both like.

Patcheresu: There's a reason for that; they're amateurs when it comes to fighting. Sure, the Arisato twins know how to fight Shadows, but they're not going to know how to fight everything coming their way, especially when dealing with the likes of Jester. That problem will become less pronounced as we move on and then it won't be a problem at all. It's a little something I like to call character growth.

KageYami: Don't worry. From now on, whenever we enter the Dark Hour, or when we move on to the next day, you'll see something that'll inform you of that.

M.O.M.O Kukai: Thank you! Don't worry about Hamuko; that was a one-time fangasm. It MAY happen again if Shinji said he loves her, if I even go that route with her, but that would be a one-time exception. And thanks for the props for my YouTube channel! Who are you on YouTube?

Echo the Ethereal Swordmaster: What system is this game for? I'm interested. Also, my apologies. I thought you got my thanks, but I guess you didn't. Thanks for showing me that! More pictures for my YouTube videos!

Oblivionkey99: Hamuko does seem like the support-type, doesn't she? The flower thing was something developed exclusively for Minato. And you'll see softie Shinji, I promise. The other guy is Theo. When will Minato awaken to his power? SOON. Yes, there's another Persona game coming; what that game is, I don't know. And, yes, that was inspired by Teddie.

Craig: Sure, I could've created an original Evoker, but MegaTen already had something for me to work with if I used the COMP. Besides, I like tying things to the MegaTen mythos whenever I can. Don't worry, the surreal level shouldn't get any higher than this, nor should the meta. Well, at least until December…

Dragoon Swordsman: Oh, yes I'm a bonafied troper. Everyday, I'm on the site, reading tropes. If you think its weird now, wait until later. And you'll see what I have in mind regarding Minato's fate, eventually.

IStartedTheFire22: A clan of detectives raised Minato, remember? It would make sense that he views normal situations objectively and with an eye out for tropes. You're not exactly right about that, as you'll see this chapter. You'll see what I have in mind regarding Personas. I got your message and replied to it. Don't worry; Hamuko is NOT NOT NOT a fangirl. The squee was because she had never encountered a man quite like Shinjiro before. Like I previously stated, I don't anticipate that happening again.

Goddess of Discord and Heaven: Thank you! Yukari fly? But then Junpei will peek up her skirt. And then Yukari will beat the ever-loving crap outta him. AND IT WILL BE FUNNY AS HELL. I already know what Junpei's power is and it is WIN. Wait, did you just say… AH! Touhou! My mortal nemesis! We meet again! Are you saying you want me to have Jester send the likes of Flandere Scarlet against S.E.E.S.? Well, if I'm gonna have a vampire in this story, I'd rather it be her, Remilia, or Castlevania's Dracula, versus the 'so-called vampires' from 'The Book Whose Name is Taboo'.

DrTempo: Nope, no Tanaka aside from the occasional mention. Yes, I referenced Devil Survivor. Devil Survivor would take place during the summer between the end of Green Midnight and the start of Persona 4, in this story. So, you might see some more characters from that series and you'll even learn why the name 'Mochizuki Ryoji' came around.

On a side note, I've heard the English voices for both Hamuko, Eurydice/Female Orpheus, and Theo. Originally, I thought that's Stephanie Sheh (voice of Metis), but I've just been told by both people and Wikipeida that Hamuko's VA is Laura Bailey (Rise from P4). After doing a vocal comparison, I can say that I do believe Hamuko is Laura. Took me awhile to recognize her, since she changed her pitch so drastically to the point where I DID mistake her for Stephanie. Of course, if it really is Stephanie and not Laura, I won't be surprised. Anyways, I also believe that's Michelle Ruff voicing Hamuko's Persona, Eurydice/Fem Orpheus. As for Theo… HOLY SHIT ITS TROY BAKER. I want P3P just because Troy Baker's in it now. I guess they really do call Theo 'Flight Attendant Kanji' for a reason, lol. Kudos if you get the joke.

Now that we got those out of the way, time for Velvet Double Date Number One! Enjoy!

* * *

**In-Game Date:** May 3, 2009

**Chapter 15:** _**Date**_

The next morning, as Minato stood in front of his mirror, getting ready for his double date, he was deep in thought._'What exactly was that kid taking about? There's an ordeal coming along? Should I prepare for this event? And what about Jester? She's waiting for us higher up in Tartarus. And, dammit, midterms are coming up, aren't they? UGH. I need a vacation.'_

**KNOCK KNOCK!**

The knocking on the door snapped Minato out of his thoughts. Quickly running a hand through his hair to make it half-way decent, he walked over to the door and opened it, finding Mitsuru waiting for him, dressed in a black leather jacket, tan trousers, and black knee-high riding boots.

"Good morning, Arisato," she cordially greeted him. "I assume you're ready for our…" Mitsuru let out a sigh of utter dread. "…date."

"I am, sempai. You sure you want to?" Minato asked her. "I can easily go get Hamuko instead."

"…No need to do so, Arisato," Mitsuru reluctantly answered. "As much as I would rather not do this, its for the good of the team. This is a prime opportunity to get some information."

"Thanks, sempai. I owe you big for this," Minato replied.

"I will hold you to that, Arisato," Mitsuru glared her teammate down, still unhappy about the situation. "Now let's hurry up and get this over with; the sooner we get this over with, the sooner I get away from that intolerable woman."

_'Maybe I should've brought Hamuko along instead…'

* * *

_

After arriving at Paulownia Mall, Minato left Mitsuru by the police station while he went into the alleyway to get to the Velvet Room. Once in the Velvet Room, he found that Igor was absent yet again. Elizabeth was there, waiting for him in her usual spot. There was also someone else with her, standing on the other side of Igor's chair. This man had the same pale skin, platinum blonde hair, and golden eyes as Elizabeth. He wore a blue cap on his head and had on a blue and white outfit similar to that of a male flight attendant and, like his sister, he held a book in his arms.

_'Is that… Elizabeth's brother?'_ he asked himself.

"Ah, Minato-san, I am glad that you made it," Elizabeth greeted him. "I would like to introduce you to my brother," she motioned to the other man in the room. "This is Theodore."

"You may call me Theo. A pleasure to meet you," the man named Theo greeted Minato as he bowed.

"Same here," Minato replied. "Now with introductions out of the way, are we ready to go? The other member of our party is waiting outside."

"Yes, let's go," said Elizabeth.

* * *

As Minato and company exited the Velvet Room, they found that Mitsuru had followed Minato down the alleyway and was currently standing in front of the door, the look on her face like that of someone completely awestruck. "What did you… How did you… What the…" she stuttered. "First you just standing there in a daze, then this bright flash of light blinds me, and then, not only are you turned around, two other people are with you!"

"To be honest, sempai, I don't know," Minato shrugged. "Do you know, Elizabeth-san?"

"Sadly, I do not. While I do know the purpose of the Velvet Room and how it generally works, not even I know all the little secrets it possesses; that information is privy only to Master Igor," Elizabeth answered. "Anyways, is she the final member of our party?"

"Yup," Minato replied. "This is Kirijo Mitsuru. Sempai, this is Elizabeth and Theo."

"Ah, I remember you. The Empress Social Link. It is a pleasure to meet you in person," Elizabeth held out a hand to Mitsuru.

"No, the pleasure… is all mine," Mitsuru forced the words out of her mouth in a gravely tone while reluctantly shaking Elizabeth's hand.

_'Something tells me that this won't end well…'

* * *

_

"Dear Kami, where did she get all those coins?" Minato gawked at the sight of Elizabeth dumping a rather large bag of coins into the fountain.

"I honestly hope it is not our savings," Theo sighed.

"Is your sister really this naïve?" Minato asked as he observed Mitsuru trying to reign in Elizabeth.

"Sadly, yes," Theo solemnly nodded. "At one point in my past, I was exactly like my sister, in terms of naivety. I feel ashamed about it."

"You were like that?" Minato jabbed a thumb at Elizabeth, who was running around the mall, Mitsuru trying to keep up.

"Yeah," Theo bitterly chuckled. "But I eventually wised up. However, Elizabeth still has that childhood naivety to her. I suppose its part of her charm, but…"

"It wears down on you after awhile?" Minato concluded his sentence.

"More grinding then wearing," Theo replied, causing both of them to chuckle.

"ONE MILLION?" Both boys looked up to see that Elizabeth had found another fountain and was dumping more coins in there, Mitsuru trying to get her to stop due to all the prying eyes.

"Did she just say… a million?" Minato warily looked at the two women. "…As in a million yen?"

"Knowing my sister, it might be more than that," Theo sighed, slowly shaking his head. Minato could only manage a blank expression due to the sheer shock of the revelation.

* * *

"Oh, is this… a club?" Elizabeth stopped in front of one of the many stores in the mall.

"It is," Minato confirmed. "Junpei told me about this club once; he said it was pretty good."

"Arisato, have you been in this club?" Mitsuru stared down her kohai.

"No, ma'am!" Minato quickly replied, not wanting to give her the wrong idea.

"Good," Mitsuru nodded.

"Dancers, dictated by the sway of one's inner passions… A subterranean garden of uninhibited spectacle…" Elizabeth happily sighed, clearly enamored by the place.

_'Dang, what's with the eloquence? I barely understood what she said.'_

"...Is it closed?" Elizabeth noticed. "Such a pity; I had hoped to join in on the wild ritual. I was really looking forward to… how do you say it? 'Get down with my bad self?'" As if to suddenly satisfy her urges, Elizabeth began to dance right in the middle of the mall, and quite well at that.

"Are you serious?" Mitsuru gaped at the sight.

"Heh, Theo-san, your sister's not half-bad," Minato complimented the dancing.

"Thank you," Theo replied.

"Arisato, go and stop her before she attracts too much attention; you'll probably have better luck than I will," Mitsuru ordered the blue-haired youth.

"Well, I'll give it a go," Minato shrugged as he walked up to Elizabeth.

"You do realize that he will not succeed, right?" Theo asked the redhead.

"What do you mean?" Mitsuru asked.

"Just look," Theo pointed at the two.

To Mitsuru's complete shock, Minato had joined Elizabeth in dancing and had attracted a small crowd as an audience. "You have got to be kidding me," Mitsuru groaned.

"Well, as the old saying goes: If you can't beat them, join them," Theo spoke before heading off to join the others in their 'dance-off', leaving a shell-shocked Mitsuru to only facepalm at the whole thing.

"I must have eaten something bad and I'm currently in some kind of delusional state," Mitsuru sighed after a few seconds. "I may as well run with it." She then went and joined the others in their dancing.

* * *

"I had a most pleasant day," Elizabeth informed them as they gathered near the police station.

"I had fun today as well," Theo added. "I must say that Kirijo-san really knew how to had some fun."

"Yeah, I agree. Once Mitsuru-sempai loosened up, we really had some fun," Minato chuckled. "Who knew you could throw down?"

"I spent a lot of time taking dancing lessons," Mitsuru blushed. "My father insisted on them."

"And then that karaoke session was most wondrous," Elizabeth gushed. "I especially liked it when the four of us joined in on singing 'Never More.'"

"Yes, that was quite fun," Theo agreed. "I never would have guessed that Kirijo-san and Elizabeth's voices complimented each other as well."

"You do have some nice pipes, sempai," Minato complimented her. "If you wanted to, you could become an idol."

"No, I couldn't, even if I wanted to; my path is already set for me," Mitsuru retorted.

"Nothing is ever set in stone," Elizabeth argued. "As long as you possess the desire to change your fate, anything is possible."

_'…She makes a good point.'_

"Well, regardless, that is not important right now; other matters have to be dealt with first," said Mitsuru, shaking her head.

"That is true," Elizabeth agreed. "And on that note, my brother and I need to return from whence we came. I thank you both for this wonderful day. Minato-san, please come see me later for your reward."

"Sure thing," Minato nodded.

"It was a pleasure meeting you both," Theo bowed to the two high-school students. "Perhaps next time we meet, I will be able to see more of your comrades."

"If the opportunity arises, then I don't see why not; I just hope we don't have to run around so much," Minato replied.

"Yes. Hopefully, we can keep my sister reigned in," Theo joked, causing Minato and Mitsuru to chuckle and Elizabeth to glare at her brother.

**SMASH!**

_'Wait, what? You serious?'_

A card appeared above the group, with only a single red sword pictured on it.

_**"Thou art I… and I am thou… Thou hast established a new bond. It brings thee closer to thy destiny. By forging a bond of the Sword Arcana, thou hast new options when dealing with the faces of possibility…"**_

The card exploded into a flash of blue light, dissipating over Minato, Elizabeth, and Theo.

"Ah, how wondrous," Elizabeth smiled as time resumed. "It seems that I have become one of your Social Links."

"Wait, you could tell?" Minato looked at Igor's assistants warily. "I thought only I could tell."

"Normally, that would be the case, but we're not normal people," Elizabeth replied.

"You could say that again…" Mitsuru grumbled.

"I'm sorry; did you say something?" Elizabeth gave Mitsuru a sickeningly sweet smile.

_ 'Uh-oh, this doesn't look good.'_

"No, I did not say a thing," Mitsuru quickly replied.

"That's what I thought," Elizabeth smirked, a chill going down Minato's back.

_ 'Damn, why do I have the feeling she could kill us all by blinking?'_

"Anyways, we should really be going now," Theo quickly cut in. "Minato-san, it was a pleasure to meet you; expect to see me around more often in the near future."

"Same here, Theo-san," Minato nodded to the man. As the Velvet Room siblings disappeared into the alleyway, Minato took this opportunity to talk to Mitsuru. "So, sempai, did you accomplish your goals today?"

"Well…" Mitsuru sighed. "I did manage to gain some insight as to who we're dealing with; however, information-wise, I didn't learn anything new."

"I'm sorry to disappoint, sempai. If I had known this would be a bust for you, I'd have brought Hamuko instead," Minato sighed.

"Don't worry about it so much, Arisato. Besides…" Mitsuru slightly blushed. "I had… a pleasant time today, regardless of the situation."

"You did?" Minato warily asked.

"Yeah… I did…" Mitsuru softly smiled. "That 'Elizabeth' character was a chore to be with. However, the one named 'Theo' turned out to be someone I could talk with intelligently. And then…"

"Then what, sempai?" Minato asked.

"…Well… you actually made the day exciting," a blush crawled up Mitsuru's cheeks. "I don't know why… but you were the cornerstone for today; if not for you, I would be downright irritable right now. For that, you have my thanks."

"Um… you're welcome, Mitsuru-sempai," Minato rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

**SMASH!**

_**"Thou shalt have our blessings when creating Personas of the Empress Arcana…"

* * *

**_

**In-Game Date:** May 4, 2009

The next day brought about the start of Golden Week, which meant that Minato now had the next three days off from school. As he lazed about in the dorm lounge, he attempted to figure out how to spend the next three days.

_'I could train with Akihiko-sempai… NO!'_ Minato quickly dismissed that idea. _'I just hung with Mitsuru-sempai yesterday. If I go with Yukari again, people will start to get the wrong idea. Maybe Junpei? Nah. I'd hang with Hamuko, but she already sped off for the day. Damn…' _He sat up on the couch, a bored expression on his face. _'Well, I guess I could try Rio or Kenji, but I don't have their numbers, and crap, I don't have Kaz's either. Well, I guess I could go see that old couple at the bookstore; at the very least, maybe I'll find a decent book to read.'_ With the bookstore seemingly his only option, Minato got up from the couch and made his way out of the dorm and towards Iwatodai Station.

* * *

As Minato walked into the bookstore, he found Bunkichi and Mitsuko standing behind the counter, having a conversation. Bunkichi looked up and saw Minato coming inside. "Oh, you came back!" Bunkichi smiled. "It's nice to see you again, Hamuko-chan!"

_'You're kidding me, right? Please tell me he's joking and he's not really mistaking me for my sister,'_ Minato gave the old man a wary look.

"I'm only joking!" Bunkichi chukled. "I remember who you are, Minato-chan; I'm not that old."

_'Ugh… Tell me why I chose this over training with Akihiko-sempai…'_ Minato deadpanned.

"We were just talking about you, Minato-chan," Bunkichi smiled as he pulled something out from under the counter. "By the way, are you interested in some melon bread?"

_'Melon bread!'_ Minato's mouth began salivating at the mere mention of it. _'Oh, god, I haven't had any in ages!'_

"Someone gave them to me, but I have more than enough. Go ahead and take some for you and Hamuko-chan," Bunkichi offered.

"Thanks!" Minato widely grinned as he took three pieces of melon bread: one to eat now, one to save for later, and one to give to Hamuko.

"Don't worry about it; it's just melon bread," Bunkichi brushed it off. "There's no need to thank me."

"Oh, but I have to! I absolutely love melon bread! Grandmother used to make them all the time!" Minato took a big bite out of his treat.

"Ah, I see…" Bunkichi nodded.

"Your grandmother? I imagine she's a wonderful woman, seeing how you turned out," Mitsuko noted.

"She was…" Minato sighed, his cheerful mood dampening a little.

"Was? She is no longer with us?" Mitsuko caught onto what Minato said.

_'Heh, she's sharp. Gotta watch out for that,'_ Minato slightly smirked. "That is correct; she passed some years back."

"I'm sorry," Mitsuko solemnly nodded.

"Don't be," Minato assured her. "You didn't know."

"Minato-chan is so polite; I just wish HE had been that way…" Bunkichi grimaced.

_'He? He who?'_ Minato wondered, curious as to whom Bunkichi was referring to.

"Speaking of him, where did he run off to?" Bunkichi asked aloud. "He should be out here helping customers; I apologize for his incompetence, Minato-chan."

"There's no need to apologize," Minato informed him. _'Especially since I have no idea who he's talking about.'_

"I'm sure he'd rather be 'hanging out' with his friends than taking care of an old man like me," Bunkichi lamented. "I'm sure he'll be back soon, right dear?"

"Must you, dear?" Mitsuko looked depressed from Bunkichi's ramblings.

"I'm sorry, but who are you guys talking about?" Minato interrupted.

"Oh, that's right… Our son is deceased…" Bunkichi's voice took on a depressed tone.

"Oh… I'm sorry…" Minato apologized.

"My apologies; I hope I'm not making you uncomfortable, Minato-chan," Bunkichi sadly smiled.

"It's okay," Minato smiled back. "I understand."

**SMASH!**

_**"Thou shalt have new possibilities with the Coin Arcana when dealing with the faces of possibilities…"**_

"Hey, what's with the gloomy faces?" Bunkichi chuckled. "Cheer up, everyone!"

"Sure thing," Minato nodded. "So, got any good books in stock today; I'm in the mood for something fun."

* * *

**In-Game Date: **May 5, 2009

Day two of Golden Week came around, and Minato found himself at Toriumi's apartment, all three of them on laptops, playing Devil Summoner. "So, you guys ready for your first official mission as Devil Summoners?" Toriumi asked her charges.

"Sure. What's the case?" Hamuko asked.

"Your first case is to locate a missing child and return her to her parents," Toriumi informed her. "I've done this particular case a few times. It's quite easy, so you two should be able to handle this just fine."

"You sure about that?" Minato asked. "This… Poltergeist doesn't seem like much, and Hamuko's Pixie is rather weak."_ 'Not to mention that it looks EXACTLY like my Pixie Persona.'_

"Don't worry; they'll be enough. And in case they're not, I'm here too," Toriumi assured them.

"Well, if you say so…" Minato nodded.

* * *

"Dammit! Use Zio! ZIO!"

"I'm trying, but that bastard chicken keeps pecking me! You try doing something!"

"I would, except this damn demon is completely useless and my attacks do nothing!"

"Well, I'm not faring any better, hot-shot!"

"Oh, shut up!"

"You shut up!"

"Both of you SHUT UP! I'll take care of this!"

* * *

"…Um… Thanks for bailing us out of that, Izako-daibo," Hamuko blushed.

"And?" Toriumi quirked an eyebrow.

"…And I'm sorry for getting angry," Hamuko hung her head low.

"I'm sorry for getting angry as well," Minato apologized.

"That's good," Toriumi nodded. "Now, apparently, you two didn't do so well on your first mission."

"Well, yeah. We had crappy demons," Hamuko grumbled.

"You just didn't know what you were doing," Toriumi shook her head.

"We didn't?" Minato inquired, curious as to what she meant.

"No, you didn't," she wagged a finger at them. "All you did was attack, attack, attack, and maybe some healing. Your demons and your PCs have additional skills that you can use to help you. For example, you have Makakaja. That boosts your magical attack. And then you have Rakunda, which lowers defense. Use your skills wisely, and think before you act."

"I'm such an idiot," Minato smacked himself in the forehead. _'I forgot about the uncanny similarities to how our Personas work and this game. I should've realized that you can't just go gung-ho like with most video games; you gotta treat this one like real life. Still puzzling as to why this is like this. I should ask Grandfather about it.'_

"Think before you act, Minato-kun," Toriumi repeated her advice. "While sometimes it might be the best option, or at times you may have no other choice, just diving in is dumb and could cost you big. The most powerful people in the world didn't get their positions by brute force; they got it with wit, ingenuity, intelligence, and an understanding of their surroundings."

"Wow, that's wise advice," Hamuko sat there star-struck.

"Life isn't all games," Toriumi bitterly chuckled. "Although it would be nice."

"True that," Minato nodded.

**SMASH!**

_**"Thou shalt have our blessing when creating Personas of the Devil Arcana…"**_

"Now then, who's in the mood for lunch? Personally, I want to get some taokayaki," Toriumi suggested.

"Sounds great!" Hamuko gave a toothy grin.

* * *

**In-Game Date:** May 6, 2009

The last day of Golden Week came as quickly as the others had gone. To spend the final day of the holidays, the Arisato twins were back at Paulownia Mall's police station, talking to Officer Kurosawa.

"Kurosawa-san, we could use your assistance," Minato asked.

"Yeah? How can I help?" Kurosawa asked.

"Tonight, we have a big expedition planned," Minato explained. "We are in need of some… supplies. Do you have anything that can help?"

"Define 'supplies,'" Kurosawa eyed the two young charges.

"The kind that go 'boom boom pow' during festivals!" Hamuko held her arms out wide.

"Why on earth would you need something like that for?" Kurosawa seemed uneasy about the request.

"Let's just say we're… fishing," the male Arisato offered an answer. "And there's this big fish we're aiming to wrangle in, but it's sly and slippery. We could use any advantage we can net…"

"I see…" the policeman nodded. "Very well. You'll have your stuff tonight."

"Thank you for your help," Minato thanked the man.

"Yes, thanks!" Hamuko smiled.

* * *

**In-Game Date:** May 6, 2009: _Dark Hour_

All six members of S.E.E.S. had gathered in the lobby of Tartarus, armed to the tooth. Looks of determination crossed all their faces. "Ok, everyone. Tonight, we reach the barrier. There, we shall confront Jester. We'll beat her little game and get the information we desire out of her. Is everyone ready?" Minato asked the group.

"I'm ready, aniki!" Hamuko twirled her weapon around in her hand.

"I'm so gonna turn that clown's smile upside-down," Yukari gripped her bow tightly.

"Bring it! I ain't gonna let a circus freak beat me!" Junpei hoisted his katana into the air.

"Let's do this," Akhiko cracked his knuckles, a look of glee mixed with his determination.

"I'll be here, providing you all with back-up. Let's do this right," Mitsuru calmly nodded.

"Let's go," Minato ordered, the group walking towards the transporter.

* * *

The five members of S.E.E.S. finally made it to the sixteenth floor of Tartarus and it looked completely eerie. The floor they were standing on was completely suspended in mid-air with nothing supporting it. Floating all around them were bloodstained clocks, gears, and miscellaneous items.

"Man, this sure is CREEPY…" Junpei rubbed his arms down. "It's like a nightmare or something.

"Stay focused; you never know when she'll show up," Minato warned. Just then, the floor began to shake.

"What's going on?" Yukari shouted.

"Stand firm!" Akhiko ordered.

As the floor shook, the area began to change. Instead of the dark and gloom of Tartarus, the area changed to a bright brown. The floor had white lines on it like a tennis court, the lines forming the shape of a familiar round object. Bleachers magically appeared around the floor, filled to the brim with various Shadows.

"What the bloody hell?" Minato dumbfounded looked around at the new surroundings. "What's going on here?"

**"…And the challengers have arrived!"** a mysterious masculine voice shouted out loud as loud, fast, orchestral music began playing.

"Huh? Who said that?" Hamuko asked.

"Where's that music coming from?" Akihiko wondered.

**"Today, for the excitement of the viewing audience, the members of S.E.E.S. have elected to challenge Jester, the Otaku Harlequin! Can they stand up to power and pull out a victory? Or will the home team end their adventure before it truly begins?"** The mysterious voice asked aloud.

"What the? Otaku Harlequin?" Junpei looked around, confused.

"Wait a second…" Minato took on a serious expression. "Is this…"

**"Now, meet the Otaku Harlequin! Ladies, gentlemen, Shadows, and others, say hello to Jester!"** the voice announced.

The music suddenly changed to what sounded like a damaged recording of a guitar riff as a portal of darkness appeared on the other side of the area. Jester walked right out of the portal, carrying herself with an air of confidence.

"Jester…" All five members uttered the name with disgust at the same time.

"Aw… How nice to see that I'm loved…" Jester giggled.

"What the hell is up with the theatrics?" Junpei asked the question on everyone's mind.

"Oh, come on. This is our big confrontation. What better place for our showdown than a stadium?" Jester gestured around her, showing off the arena. "What do you think, by the way? I did this all myself."

"YOU did all this?" Hamuko gasped.

"Of course. Remember, what I think, I get, within reason. I wanted a stadium, and here we go," Jester bowed, her voice emanating glee.

"That's fine by me," Akihiko rolled his shoulders.

"So… did you guys ever decipher my clue?" Jester asked.

"Does it matter?" Minato asked back.

"I'll take that as a no. That's good. Makes the surprise all the better. Although you should probably watch your Pokémon movies more often, ku ku ku," Jester chuckled, holding a hand up to her mask.

"We're fighting another one? Should've known…" Yukari sighed.

"So, we're facing another one of them? Great…" Junpei groaned.

"Oh, you sound SO excited," Jester replied sarcastically as she scanned the group. "…Oh, hold on. There's a new guy in this group. You usually hang around downstairs with the future-seer. Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"The name's Sanada Akihiko," he introduced himself. "I've been sidelined to this point due to injury. But now I'm ready to go and bring it."

"Sa…na…da?" the name rolled off Jester's tongue, as if she had just eaten something bitter.

"Yeah. Remember that name," Akihiko smirked.

"Well, regardless, let's do this. Remember, victory wins you information. Defeat… well, you know this by now," Jester shrugged. "But before we begin, one last thing."

"Yeah? What's that?" Minato asked, his blade at the ready.

"This," Jester snapped her fingers. A 'whoosh'-like sound surrounded Minato as he found himself in a Plexiglas-like box as the music changed again to a guitar riff combined with drumming cymbals.

"What the heck?" Minato found himself trapped.

"I'd just like to see how you fare without your glorious leader, ku ku ku," Jester laughed. Minato drew his sword and struck the box trapping him, but the blade did no damage to the transparent walls.

"Aniki!" Hamuko shouted as she struck the box with her naginata, but it did nothing.

"I would save your effort for me. That box ain't going to break unless you beat me," Jester informed them. "And I suggest you act fast; it's airtight."

"No!" Minato gasped.

"Son of a bitch, let him go!" Hamuko threatened the clown.

Jester looked down, giggling with delight. "I'm not a guy, seeing as how I have boobies and no balls. So, I guess that makes me just a regular ol' bitch."

"Stop with the jokes and let him go!" Hamuko shouted.

"Beat me, and I will," Jester replied.

"Imoto, calm down! Lead the team and beat her!" Minato called out to her.

"I suggest keeping your mouth shut, Blue; gotta maximize your air," Jester advised him.

"Grr…" Hamuko growled. "I'll beat you."

"All of you are welcome to try, ku ku ku," Jester mocked the group as a very familiar ball appeared in her hand. "Are you ready? Well, if you had figured out my clue, you'd know what was coming. Let me tell you it one last time: Disturb not the harmony of Fire, Ice, Wind, and Lightning, lest their vassals wreak mass destruction upon the world in which they clash. Allow their conflict to go unsettled for long, and the Water's Great Guardian shall arise, and the world will shall be overcome by darkness. O Chosen One, into thine hands lies the world's fate, yet this task is not yours alone. Attack the Great Guardian with those near to your heart. Alone, your song shall fail, yet as one, nothing is impossible."

"Just what exactly does that mean?" Yukari demanded to know.

"Well, if you were a fan of the second movie, Lugia's Explosive Birth, then you'd know," Jester laughed as gripped the ball tight. "Come on out, Shadow Lugia!"

Jester tossed the ball high into the air, allowing it to explode in a dark light. Emerging from the explosion was a giant black bird with red eyes. It let out a feral cry as it stretched out its wings and started the members of S.E.E.S. down.

"Holy shit!" Junpei gaped at their foe.

** "Lady Jester has sent out Lugia! A powerful Legendary Pokémon that our harlequin has created with a combination of several Shadows and her own power. Can S.E.E.S. overpower this great foe, or will this legend plow right through them?" **the voice shouted.

_'Dammit!'_ Minato punched the wall. _'I should've realized she'd throw something like THAT at us!'_

"Bring it on Jester! I'll fight a hundred of your Lugias to save Minato!" Hamuko took on a fighting pose. "Everyone, line up!" Junpei gripped his katana tight, Yukari notched her bow, and Akihiko rolled his shoulders to loosen them up.

"You ready? In the name of Momos-sama, I will destroy you all!" Jester shouted as she took to the air, landing on Shadow Lugia's head as the music shifted once more to a fast-paced number with horns, violins, bells, and flutes. "Lugia, Aeroblast now!"

* * *

Sorry this was a short chapter, but the only big events were the double date, and the pre-battle. I didn't want to pad the whole thing out. Anyways, next chapter comes the showdown between Jester/Shadow Lugia and S.E.E.S.! Can they save Minato? I hope so! And if you wondering about what songs I was using during the last scene, here's a list of them, in order of appearance:

Mewtwo Preparation (Pokemon Stadium)

Unsatisfied Desire (Tales of Symphonia)

That Which Escaped The Darkness (Persona 3)

Wheeling Corby (Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn)

_**Green Midnight Dictionary:**_

**Theo:** His full name is Theodore. Brother of Elizabeth and Margaret. Unlike P3P, where his story is exactly the same as Elizabeth's, I'll be taking a different route with him. After the May Full Moon, you'll be seeing him playing an active role in assisting Minato.

**Sword Arcana:** One of the four Minor Arcana. The element associated with it is Air/Wind. Swords deal with nobility, logic, reasoning, power, authority, and a pragmatic view. This is the Arcana that represents the bond Minato has forged with Elizabeth and Theo. Should Margaret get involved as well, this link will represent her as well. In a deck of playing cards, Spades replaces the Swords.

**Otaku Harlequin:** Jester's self-proclaimed title. If you know what the phrase means, then that would explain a LOT about her methods. Harlequin means a masked comedic character, often dressed in multicolored tights. Otaku means an enthusiast obsessed with anime, video games, and/or computers. That should tell you a lot about her methodology.

**Shadow Lugia:** A powerful creature that Jester has forged by combining her power with that of several Shadows. Taking the form of a corrupted version of a Legendary Pokémon (based from Gale of Darkness), it is the most powerful thing Jester has created to date; however, this causes Jester to not be at full strength due to the strain.


	16. Chapter 16: Wheeling Corby

Welcome to a new chapter of Green Midnight! This is it! The second half of the double chapter! The big battle! I hope I live up to expectations! And pay attention, for a lot of details will be revealed! But first, reviews!

Fan of Fanfics21: Oh, I have something planned regarding the KH series, as you'll see soon enough.

NightmareSyndrom: You'll see.

Ravenwingcorps: Thriller? Nice. I think I did a great job with this battle.

Velvet Oath: Nice name. Thank you. So at least two of you want Yukari to fly, eh? Well, I've got something planned. And someone read minds? Well, if anyone can do that, it'd be Fuuka.

KageYami: Yes, Theo is Elizabeth's younger brother. Any anime creatures from Jester? Who knows? Maybe, if the story calls for it.

IStartedTheFire22: No. All Velvet Room siblings (Elizabeth, Theo, Margaret) will be covered by the Sword Arcana, but the link will focus mostly on Elizabeth. You'll see what I've got planned.

Fenruer Intun: Yes. Yes it does. I see you caught the P4 reference! You get a cookie! As for Terumi or Tae, I haven't that far yet. I've got PLENTY of time to introduce some Devil Summoner cameos.

DrTempo: Probably the Gin path. If I were to write a Devil Survivor story, it would have S.E.E.S. and the DS heroes teaming up and sending the demons back. And Aya would play a bigger role in that story.

Echo the Ethereal Swordmaster: Too bad I don't have a PSP. If I did, I'd of pre-ordered P3P and got me THAT JUNPEI HAT!

Xernuht: Am I going to do the optional battle? You bet I am. How I'm going to do that, I'm not entirely sure yet.

Dark Lord Moridin: No, Thanatos and Hypnos are twin brothers, with Thanatos being the elder twin. Tartarus is technically a part of Hell, as described by the myths.

Anyways, now with that out of the way, one last thing: You will notice that every chapter up to this point only had one-word titles. This one does not. That means this chapter is BIG, story wise. Most big boss battle and plot-twisitng chapters will have such titles. For this one, the chapter title is the title of the battle theme I used to write this song. Go look it up and listen! Now, let's throwdown, crank up your choice of badass music, and enjoy!

* * *

**In-Game Date:** May 6, 2009, Dark Hour

**Chapter 16:** _**Wheeling Corby**_

"Lugia! Aeroblast now!" Shadow Lugia's mouth glowed bright red as it aimed for the members of S.E.E.S.

"Everyone! Scatter!" Hamuko shouted as everyone took off in separate directions. Shadow Lugia let out a red blast of energy at the group, crashing into one of the stadium walls.

_'HOLY SHIT!'_ Minato's eyes widened at the sight of the attack.

"Is everyone okay?" Hamuko shouted.

"We're okay, but DAMN, that was a hell of an attack!" Junpei shouted back.

"We won't be able to take a hit like that! Just look at the wall!" Yukari pointed at the wall, which had a giant hole in it, allowing the eerie light of the Dark Hour to shine through.

**"WOW! Lady Jester started this battle off strong with a powerful Aeroblast! Can S.E.E.S. hope to muster strength to match Lugia's or will they be blasted to smithereens?"** the announcer called out.

"Our best chance is to go on the offensive!" Akihiko yelled out.

"Let's do it!" Hamuko ordered. Akihiko sped towards the Beast of the Sea while Hamuko vanished. Akihiko jumped into the air and landed an electrically-charged uppercut to Shadow Lugia's jaw. At the same time, Hamuko appeared on Shadow Lugia's back and ran towards Jester.

"Well, well, look who decided to take me head on," Jester dodged the swipe from Hamuko's naginata.

"Stay still!" Hamuko shouted as she swiped at Jester.

"Come and get me!" Jester jumped off Shadow Lugia's head.

"Come back here!" Hamuko teleported after her.

**"Jester has separated from her Pokémon and the de facto leader is in hot pursuit!"

* * *

**

Minato could only watch on as Hamuko chased after Jester like an ax-crazy woman as Yukari, Akihiko, and Junpei had to dodge another Aeroblast from Shadow Lugia.

**"WOW! The battle has now split into two factions! One group is going after Lady Jester, while the other is battling Shadow Lugia! Will dividing lead to conquering? Or will the old saying 'Divided, we fall!' be fulfilled?"**

_'Dammit! I can't do anything trapped in this box!'_

**"Arisato! What's going on! The tower is SHAKING! I can't tell what's going on from here!"** Mitsuru demanded to know.

_ 'I'll have to be quick with the explanation; I don't know how much air is in here,'_ Minato groaned. "Sempai! Trapped! Jester summoned big Shadow. Others not faring well."

**"Arisato, what's with the horrible grammar? Speak properly!"** Mitsuru ordered.

**"I'm afraid Blue can't talk too much right now. Not if he wants to die of suffocation,"** another voice echoed on the radio.

_ 'WHAT? How in the world is Jester on the radio?'_

** "You! How in the name of heaven did you hack this radio signal?" **Mitsuru gasped.

**"You're still underestimating me? How naïve, ku ku ku," **Jester giggled. **"Oh, hold on a second; I have to roundhouse kick the Yellow Flash here." **Just then, Hamuko came flying by Minato's box and crashed into the stands.

"Hamuko!" Minato shouted.

**"Sorry about that,"** Jester got back on the radio. **"You get a kick out of asphyxiation or something? Cause at the rate you're going, that's what gonna happen." **

"Damn you…" Minato growled.

**"Damn you's not my name; my name's Jester. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got asses to kick,"** Jester cut off her transmission.

_'Dammit! I'm useless!'_ Minato growled.

**"Arisato! I'm on my way up! Hold on!"** Mitsuru shouted.

* * *

While Minato struggled to find a way out and Hamuko fought Jester head-on, the rest of S.E.E.S. was forced to deal with the powerful Shadow Pokémon. "We have to do something fast! If we don't, Minato will die!" Yukari shouted.

"I know that, Takeba; calm down!" Akihiko shouted back as he was forced to dodge a barrage of feathers from Shadow Lugia.

"Well, what do we do?" Junpei shouted as he had Hermes fire an Agi spell.

"Junpei, go see if you can free Minato; Takeba, you're my support," Akihiko ordered.

"Gotcha, sempai!" Junpei ran off to try to break Minato free.

"All right then, I've got a goose to cook. Polydeucus. Sonic Punch!" Akihiko invoked his Persona. A white, ghostly humanoid-like creature with mirror-like armor, long blonde hair, and an arm that resembled a giant syringe appeared above Akihiko and charged its foe, slamming its syringe-arm right in Shadow Lugia's gut, knocking it back. "Follow it up, Takeba!"

"Let's do this, Io!" Yukari pulled the trigger to her Evoker. The heifer priestess appeared and struck the stunned Lugia hard with a Garu spell, knocking it back further.

"My turn!" Akihiko shouted as his power kicked in, speeding towards the reeling Pokémon. "Eat fist!" he shouted as he pumped his energy into his legs, allow him to fly right at Shadow Lugia. His fist crackled with lightning as it connected with Lugia's jaw, knocking it right into the ground, creating a huge crater.

**"WOW! Lugia's been pummeled! Is it out of the game or does it have an extra live to spare?"** the announcer shouted.

"Did… Did we get it?" Yukari peered into the crater as Akihiko landed next to her.

"I think so. Now let's go take care of that Jester character," Akihiko replied. Before they could do that, a blast of energy fired from the crater and shot Yukari into the stands.

"Takeba!" Akihiko yelled out. "GAH!" Shadow Lugia's tail suddenly shot out from the crater, grabbing Akihiko by the neck.

**"It looks like Lugia's got life in it yet!"

* * *

**

"Let my brother go, you pied piper you!" Hamuko shouted as she traded blows with Jester.

"Aw… but that would ruin the fun!" Jester giggled as she dodged a swipe.

"Grr… Eurydice!" Hamuko called upon her Persona.

"What?" Jester gasped as Eurydice appeared out of nowhere and slammed her hard with her lyre, sending her flying across the field.

**"Wow! That Persona came out of nowhere and sent Lady Jester flying!"**

"Take that!" Hamuko cheered. She then felt a tapping on her shoulder. "Yeah, what is…"

** WHAM!**

Jester's fist connected with Hamuko's cheek, sending her into the ground. "I'm not to be underestimated, girly."

"Then how about me?" Jester turned around and got a face full of ice, knocking her back. As she shook the ice from her face, she looked up to see that Mitsuru was standing there, rapier in hand.

**"Amazing! A new challenger has appeared and got the drop on Jester! Can she pose a better challenge or will she go down like her ally?"**

"You? Heh, you're here already? Weren't you sixteen floors down, giving support?" Jester asked.

"I was, but I'm not just going to stand by as my team gets destroyed by the likes of you," Mitsuru glared her opponent down.

"Well, this ought to be good," Jester grinned as she materialized a whip into her hand. "En guarde!"

* * *

_'Dammit! Nothing's working!'_ Minato shook with frustration. He had tried everything to break out. Agilao gems, his spells and attacks, and even outside help from Junpei did nothing to break through.

"Dude, nothing's going to break this!" Junpei growled.

"I know…" Minato growled back. _'If nothing's going to get me out, then…'_

"It seems like you've reached the end of your rope."

Minato and Junpei turned towards the sound of the voice to find a portal of darkness appear behind them. A figure stepped out of the portal. It was large, imposing figure clad in a gray cloak and hood. The shadows of the hood masked its face, yet you could easily see glowing yellow eyes and an imposing smile on the figure's face.

"Who are you?" Junpei demanded.

"You may call me… Momos…" the figure replied in a deep, masculine voice.

"Momos? What are you, a dog named after a peach?" Junpei mocked the man.

The man remained silent as he raised a hand and pointed at Junpei.

"Ragnarok."

**BOOM!**

A stream of fire shot out from under the ground, propelling Junpei right into the ceiling. "Junpei!" Minato shouted as Junpei fell to the ground, burnt to a crisp. _'How is that POSSIBLE? Junpei has Fire Resistance!'_

"I assure you, I am NOT named after a measly peach. I am something much greater," Momos sneered.

"You monster!" Minato yelled.

"I suppose you can call me that, Arisato Minato," Momos laughed.

"How do you know my name?" Minato glared at the hooded figure.

"I know a lot about you, Arisato," Momos paced around Minato's cell. "I know that you're part of the Kuzunohas, the clan of Devil Summoners. I know that you possess the power of the Wild Card. I know that fool Igor must be assisting you in some capacity. I know for a fact that your parents and your grandmother were killed before your sister's eyes. I also know that until a month ago, you had no idea of the potential you possessed, and even now, you don't know the full truth about your heritage."

"How in holy hell do you know all that!" Minato demanded.

"I'd save your breath, boy," Momos taunted the Arisato. "My servant did a good job with this box."

"Dammit…" Minato could only glare at the man.

"You know, in retrospect, I should've realized that someone like you would try to interfere," Momos cast his gaze upon the battles going on. "Someone very similar to yourself interfered with my plans a LONG time ago, and with the Wild Card, no less."

"Your plans?" Minato asked.

"I'm not foolish to divulge what that is," Momos stood there. "Regardless, that previous Wild Card cost me twenty years. But it gave me everything I needed to achieve my goal, and I would've gotten it ten years ago, if it weren't for those blasted fools."  
"Blasted fools?" Minato asked, hoping he could prod some information out of Momos.

"Yes, those seven blasted fools. In fact, you should be familiar with four of them: Arisato Jouhei, Shirogane-Arisato Nagi, Kirijo Takeharu, and Takeba Eiichiro," Momos rattled off the names like they were disgusting food.

"My parents, Mitsuru's father, and Yukari's father?" Minato gasped. "What are you talking about?"

"Takeba got wind of what I was planning and gather that idiot Kirijo and three like-minded folks from the Kirijo Group to try and stop me, but he knew he couldn't stop me with just four people, so he contracted some outside help that Kirijo knew: Raidou Kuzunoha the Seventeenth and Geirin Kuzunoha the Twenty-First," said Momos.

"Kuzunoha? Wait you mean…" Minato's eyes lit up in realization.

"Yes. Your parents," Momos confirmed. "It just so happened that your parents and grandparents were here for a class reunion. Kirijo contacted them for help, and your grandparents rushed back to get back-up from those Devil Summoners. Leaving you and your sister somewhere, I assume, they joined Takeba's little 'resistance' to try and stop me, but then a whole lot of stuff I don't want to explain happened. I killed Takeba and his little helpers. I thought I had killed Kirijo as well, but I underestimated his will to live. That only left the Devil Summoners. I managed to find them at the Moonlight Bridge, with you and your sister, no less. Why they thought it was smart to have you kids with them is way beyond my comprehension. I then sent my Reaper to eliminate the lot of you and reclaim my weapon. My weapon disappeared but your parents were eliminated. You would've joined them, if I had the foresight to realize that one of those fools would've sent Aigis to protect you…"

"Aigis? Are you talking about the girl who saved Hamuko and myself? That's her name?" Minato asked.

"You really don't know anything, do you?" Momos smirked. "I guess Philemon loves keeping you in the dark."

"Philemon? Who's that?" Minato frowned.

"You don't know who that is? I see… so he's… Okay… All the better," Momos nodded.

"Why are you here?" Minato gritted his teeth.

"A simple reason; you interest me, Arisato, to the point where I'm going to offer you a deal," Momos turned around to stare Minato right in the eye. "I want you to work for me. Accept, and I'll let your friends walk out of here right now, and they'll never hear from my servants, the Shadows, or me ever again. Don't, and who knows what'll happen. Personally, it doesn't matter to me whether you all live or die; either way, my plans will be achieved."

"Then why make the offer?" Minato stared back.

"Because, having you alive makes things more interesting for me," Momos snickered. "Make your choice quick before your friends die or you run out of air."

_'What do I do?'_ Minato sighed as he looked over the battlefield. He saw Junpei lying nearby, badly burned by the Ragnarok spell. He saw Yukari out in the stands, struggling to get up. He saw Mitsuru, trading blows with Jester. He saw Akihiko, being strangled by Shadow Lugia's tail. He then saw his sister, face-down in the ground, still out cold from Jester's punch. _'I can't let them die.' _"I…"

"Gwah!" Momos stumbled backwards, a sword lodged in his gut.

Minato looked down to see a badly hurt Junpei, on his knees, a shit-eating grin on his face. "Don't… don't underestimate us," Junpei coughed out.

"Why you…" Momos growled as he yanked the katana out. "This time, I'll slice you to ribbons!"

"CASTOR!" A black blur slammed into Momos, sending him flying into the stands.

"Momos-sama!" Jester shouted as she saw him flying.

"Don't lose focus!" Mitsuru shouted as her sword swiped Jester across the face, causing her to stumble. Mitsuru's boot then connected to the side of the clown's head, knocking her down. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Mitsuru grabbed Jester by the throat, pinning her to the ground. "Chill out," she smirked as Mitsuru used her magic, flash-freezing Jester to the ground.

At the same time, Shadow Lugia began to swoon, weakened due to its creator's magic being cut off from it. Suddenly, an arrow pierced it through the eye, causing it to screech in pain. Distracted by the lodged arrow, Shadow Lugia loosened its grip on Akihiko. Finally able to move, Akihiko swung himself onto Lugia's back. "Chew on this!" he cried out as he discharged a large amount of electricity from his body. The blast was enough to cause the Pokémon to start falling to the ground, taking Akihiko with it, but as they fell, a yellow flash engulfed Akihiko, causing him to disappear.

**"WOW! Just when you thought the fat lady had sung, S.E.E.S. turns the tables and nails several critical blows!"**

"Everyone!" Minato cried out.

Just then, another figure approached Minato and Junpei. In one hand, he held an axe; in the other, he held a very familiar gun.

"You! I remember you!" Minato pointed at the new guy.

"Brace yourself," the man warned.

"You can't break through!" Minato informed him.

"Just watch me," the man smirked as he wound up.

"Oh crap!" Minato wisely decided to duck as the man swung his axe, easily cleaving through Jester's transparent box like a hot knife through butter.

"The hell?" Minato gawked as he stepped out of what was left of the box. 'How in heaven's name did he cut through that so cleanly?'

"Aragaki? What are you doing here?" Mitsuru ran over and began healing Junpei.

"Gee, not even a 'Hey, thanks for the help,' Kirijo?" the man smirked.

Just then, a yellow light flashed in front of everyone, revealing Akihiko, Hamuko, and an injured Yukari, who was being supported by the others.

"Shinji?" Akihiko's eyes widened.

"Aki," the man called Shinji nodded.

"Why are you here?" Akihiko nodded.

"Tch. Does it matter?" Shinji asked. "Besides, you've got some injured people here; I would THINK they're more important."

"Let me take care of that," Minato whipped out his gun Evoker. "Cadenza!" The group was coated in a green light, the light healing a majority of their wounds. "Is everyone okay now?"

"Yeah… I think I'll be fine," Junpei got to his feet with Mitsuru's help.

"I'm okay," Yukari groaned as she rubbed her neck. "But I'll be feeling this for weeks."

Loud clapping could be heard as the area shifted back to its original form, leaving S.E.E.S. back on the floating platform with the frozen Jester, unconscious Shadow Lugia, and the cloaked Momos, who seemed to shake off the wounds Junpei and Shinji gave him.

"Not bad… Not bad at all," Momos continued to clap. "I apparently underestimated your resolve."

"You…" Minato growled.

"Just who the hell are you?" Hamuko shouted.

"Oh, just the one responsible for the deaths of three of your family members," Momos nonchalantly replied.

"WHAT?" Hamuko growled.

"Not that it matters. Congratulations on beating Jester and even wounding me. Most impressive," Momos mockingly bowed. "Count yourself lucky this time, for you won't be getting me like that again anytime soon."

"Tch. I could beat your ass any day of the week," Shinji spat at the man.

"When you're strong enough, you're welcome to try, Aragaki Shinjiro," Momos replied.

"And how the fuck do you know my name?" Shinji growled.

"I've been watching S.E.E.S. ever since its conception and I know about all of you. Kirijo Mitsuru, the heir to the Kirijo Group. Sanada Akihiko, captain of Gekkoukan's boxing team. Aragaki Shinjio, the defector from S.E.E.S. Takaba Yukari, the popular girl and archery master. Iori Junpei, the school idiot. And, of course, Arisatos Hamuko and Minato, the twins and descendants of the Kuzunohas," Momos listed the group.

Hamuko made a step forward, as if to do something, but Minato put his arm in front of her to stop her. "Don't," he ordered.

"Ah, it seems someone has wised up," Momos chuckled. "Anyways, Jester did promise you guys a prize for victory, did she not? Well, I guess I'll pay for her." A ball of white energy appeared in Momos' hand. "For you, Wild Card." Momos tossed the ball right at Minato, slamming right into him, the force knocking him down.

"Minato!" Yukari and Hamuko ran to his side.

"What did you just do?" Hamuko looked right up at Momos.

"I just gave Minato here a gift he can put to good use and make things interesting for me. Consider it my only gesture of goodwill. Igor will explain to you what I just did," said Momos.

"How… how do you know about Igor?" Minato coughed out.

"When one is attuned to otherworldly powers to the extent I am, there's little you DON'T know," Momos gave the group a stern glare. "Besides, like I said, I had to deal with another of his Wild Cards in the past."

"What exactly do you have planned?" Mitsuru asked.

"Oh, that's simple: to use the power of the Shadows and the Dark Hour to take over the world, with me as its king!" Momos raised a fist into the air.

_'Of course! He's one of THOSE people.'_

"And whether you live or die is of little consequence to me; either way, you'll propel me to my dream," Momos taunted them. "But for now, celebrate your victory. It doesn't matter to me; in the end, I'll be standing on top."

"Go ahead and try, but we'll be here to stop you," Minato stood up and drew his sword in a defensive position.

"Honestly, I hope you try; it'll make victory all the sweeter," Momos laughed as he walked over to his frozen subordinate and picked her up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to thaw this girl out. Minato, the offer still stands for now; I suggest you consider it. S.E.E.S., I will be seeing you again, that I promise." With that, Momos created a portal of darkness and carried his servant into it, the portal closing right behind him.

_'At least it's finally over,'_ Minato sighed.

"SQUAA!" Everyone turned to see that a badly injured Shadow Lugia was still there, taking flight once more.

"Dammit! Here we go again!" Junpei drew out his Evoker.

"Tch. Why don't you rookies stand back and I'll show you how it's done?" Shinji pushed Junpei back.

"You guys are in for a treat," Akihiko grinned.

Shinjiro calmly swung his axe over his shoulder as he walked towards the Shadow Pokémon. "Bring in on; I eat bitches like you for breakfast," he taunted his opponent. Shadow Lugia charged up for another Aeroblast and fired right at Shinji, who just calmly stood there.

"Shinji-san!" Hamuko cried out.

"Don't worry; he knows what he's doing," Akihiko smirked.

"He usually does," Mitsuru nodded in agreement.

_'How in holy hell are these two so calm about this Shinji guy facing Jester's creation alone?'_ Minato wondered.

Shadow Lugia fired its charged attack at Shinji, primed to annihilate him. Shinji calmly took the axe off his shoulder and stared right into the blast. Just as the blast reached him, Shinji took one big swing of his axe and batted the attack right back at Shadow Lugia, getting struck dead-on. As Shadow Lugia began to plummet once more, Shinjiro calmly took his Evoker and aimed right at his temple. "Let's do this," he coolly called out as he pulled the trigger.

A black ghostly figure appeared above Shinjiro. It was a metal-like skeletal horse with a black-colored version of Akihiko's Persona saddled on top of it. Through the Persona's chest, a bronze sword was sheathed there.

"Castor, Fatal End," Shinjiro ordered as his Persona flew right at Shadow Lugia and smashed right into it, sending it into the floating clocks and gears. Castor then flew back over to Shinjiro, who hopped right on.

_'What is he doing?'_ Minato wondered.

Castor flew towards the tangled Shadow Lugia at full speed, like it was going to ram it. Instead, Shinji jumped off his Persona and flew right at Shadow Lugia.

"What on earth?" Yukari gasped.

Swinging his axe with all his might, Shinjiro connected right with Shadow Lugia's head and sliced clean through it, continuing down the body, and right through the tail, creating two equal halves. As Castor caught its summoner, the halves exploded into purple dust, showering the area.

"Tch. That's how it's done," Shinji smirked as he landed in front of everyone.

"DUDE. THAT. WAS. KICK. ASS!" Junpei gushed.

"Awesome as always, Shinji," Akihiko patted him on the shoulder. "Does this mean you want to come back with us?"

"Tch, hell no," Shinji spat at the ground. "The only reason I'm even here is because of some evil bitch."

"Who are you talking about, Aragaki?" Mitsuru asked.

"I was just minding my own business when this creepy bitch with gold eyes and this weird blue outfit approached me and had the gall to DEMAND that I get here and bail you guys out," Shinji growled. "I shrugged her off, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. She kept bugging me and bugging me and no matter what I did, that bitch WOULD NOT shut up! It got to the point where I told her to either can it or I'd kick her ass. Then, out of nowhere, she blasts me with a damn Megidolaon! And then had the gall to heal me! She then said she'd keep doing it over and over again until I helped you guys out, so I reluctantly agreed, if only to avoid another blast to the face. Who was she?"

_ 'Holy shit, Elizabeth. What possessed you do to THAT?'_ Minato shook his head.

"I think I know who you're talking about, Aragaki," Mitsuru nodded as she looked over at Minato. "Rest assured that Arisato here will make sure that you are not bothered by her like that again."

"Yes, sempai," Minato complied.

"Tch, if that's it, then I'm ditching this joint," Shinjiro swung his axe over his shoulder. "THIS was a one-time thing; do NOT count on my help again."

"Well, thanks for your help, Shinji," said Akihiko. "And you're always welcome to come back whenever you want."

"Whatever," Shinjiro turned his back to the group and began walking away.

"WAIT!"

Shinjiro turned around to see that Hamuko was running towards him. She then stopped in from of him, a blank expression on her face.

_'What is she doing?'_ Minato wondered.

"Can I help you?" Shinji raised an eyebrow.

"I… I just wanted to say thanks for your help. If not for you, I'd have lost aniki to them," Hamuko softly smiled.

"Um… you're… welcome…" Shinij was rattled by Hamuko's smile.

"Really, thank you," Hamuko stood on her tiptoes and gave Shinjiro a quick kiss on the cheek.

_'THE HELL?'_ Minato clenched his fists.

"Whoo ho!" Junpei wolf-whistled.

"I…" Shinjiro was completely flustered by Hamuko's gesture of kindness, his face showing the slightest hint of pink. "Uh… you're welcome." With that, he quickly made his exit.

* * *

The group decided that it was for the best if they just head straight for bed, choosing to brief Ikutsuki about the battle tomorrow. However, Minato couldn't rest without doing one thing first. He now found himself in front of Yukari's room, alongside Hamuko, nervous as he could be.

"You sure you want to do this?" Hamuko asked.

_'I should probably wait to tell her, but… she deserves to know,'_ Minato sighed. "Yeah, I'm sure." He then quietly knocked on her door, hoping that she heard. After waiting for a minute, the opened to reveal a half-asleep Yukari clad in simple sweats.

"…Minato-kun? Hamuko-chan? What is it? And can it wait until morning?" she yawned.

"I guess it could, Yukari-chan, but it involves your father," Minato admitted.

"What?" Yukari stepped back, suddenly wide awake.. "What is it?"

"Can we come in? I'd rather discuss it in private…" Minato whispered.

"Well, I…" Yukari looked down. _'Wait a second… D'oh! I'm an idiot!'_

"Oh, sorry! I didn't realize what I had asked. We can just head downstairs," Minato offered.

"Um… okay…" Yukari nodded.

Downstairs in the lounge, Minato and Yukari were sitting in the lounge talking while Hamuko was getting everyone hot chocolate.

"So, let me get this straight," Yukari took a cup from Hamuko. "A while back, you got a letter from your grandfather telling you that not only did Ikutsuki worked with my father directly, but that he was the final client of your parents as well. And then after that, during our battle just a little while ago, this 'Momos' claimed that your parents, my dad, and Mitsuru-sempai's dad were part of this 'team' that stood against him and thwarted his plans ten years ago?"

"Apparently so," Minato nodded.

"And this… Momos… killed him…" Yukari whispered.

"It seems that way; Momos said that out of the seven that opposed him, only Kirijo came out alive," Minato nodded. "And I don't have any reason to doubt his word."

"So… he's the one responsible for killing our parents as well, aniki?" Hamuko solemnly asked.

"…I think so; he did say that he ordered the Reaper to kill our parents," Minato sighed.

"That bastard…" Hamuko growled.

"…I'm sorry," Yukari blurted out.

"What? What are you apologizing for?" Minato wondered.

"My dad… he's the one who brought your parents to oppose Momos. If he hadn't, they'd still be alive," Yukari turned away, a frown on her face.

"Don't be upset, Yukari-chan," Hamuko gripped her shoulder. "I'm actually kinda glad that I learned this."

"Why's that?" Yukari looked at the female Arisato.

"Because I now know that my parents died stopping a madman; they died as heroes and your dad did as well," Hamuko smiled.

"She's right, Yukari-chan. Your father had to be a strong, courageous man stand against Momos and gather Kirijo, our parents, and the others on that team. If not for him, who knows what would've happened," Minato added, smiling as well.

"…Thank you," Yukari slightly cheered up. "I suppose it does feel good knowing that my dad died a hero."

"…When I brief everyone about what Momos told me, do you want me to exclude what I've said? I understand if you don't want me bringing this up," Minato offered.

"…That would be nice," Yukari replied. "I'd rather not share this with anyone just yet."

"I understand," said Minato.

"My lips are sealed," Hamuko ran a finger across her lips.

"Thank you," Yukari smiled some more.

* * *

A ferocious black dragon circled around an armored Minato. "Let Lady Hamuko go, you fiend!" Minato yelled at the dragon.

"Thine lady is within yonder tower! And thee shant be saving her!" the dragon howled.

"Then, foul beast, I shall cut through thine scales to retrieve her from such a foul prison!" Minato brandished his sword.

"I don't think so!" the dragon shot a barrage of flames at Minato, knocking him down. The dragon then pinned him down with his paw. "Thy shall taste wonderful within my bowels …" The dragon fell silent as its eyes widened. A few seconds passed by as nothing happened. Then, slowly, its head slowly slid off its shoulders and crashed into the ground next to its body. The body then fell with a 'THUD', freeing Minato.

"What on earth just happened?" Minato quickly got up.

"Tch, pathetic amateur." Minato turned around to see Shinjiro, clad in white armor. In one arm, he held his axe; in the other, he supported Lady Hamuko.

"Oh, my bravest white knight, you deserve a reward," Hamuko smiled as she leaned forward and began making out with Shinjiro the White Knight.

"WHAT THE FUCK." Minato's jaw went slack.

"Your dreams always do make for great entertainment; I swear, you could make screenplays of each one and be set for life."

Minato suddenly whipped around to see a very familiar boy, prison pajamas and all, standing there, watching the scene with a greasy smirk. "You again!" Minato pointed at the boy. "How in the world are you here!"

"I'm everywhere you are, Minato," the boy smirked some more. "Now, if you would follow me…" A white door suddenly appeared in front of Minato.

"What's this?" Minato asked.

"You shall see," the boy walked through the door.

"Well, I guess anything's better than watching this," Minato looked back at Sir Shinjiro and Lady Hamuko, still making out, before stepping through the door as well.

* * *

Minato stumbled out of the door, finding himself in a long, grey hallway. His armor had disappeared, replaced with his school uniform. "Where… where am I?" he asked.

"This… is a very interesting place," the prison boy suddenly appeared in front of Minato. "This… is your soul."

"My soul?" Minato looked at the boy. "You serious? I thought it would look… I dunno, a bit more exotic."

"Yes, this is your soul. This hallway represents the connection to the various parts of your soul," the boy explained. "Behind each door, you'll find a different part of yourself. For example, the white door behind you leads to your dreams. And that door right there…" the boy pointed to a familiar-looking blue door. "…leads to somewhere you've been many times."

"No way…" Minato gasped as he opened the door and peered inside.

"Ah, welcome… to the Velvet Room, young Minato," Igor greeted him, Elizabeth standing beside him as always. "Normally, I'm the one who summons you in your dreams; this time, the reverse seems to be true. Please, come in."

"I'm sorry, but I'm currently giving this guy the grand tour of his soul," the boy poked his head in. "Another time, perhaps."

"Ah, I understand," Igor nodded. "Then please, don't let me hold you up."

"Thank you," the boy disappeared from view.

"Igor, you and I need to talk later," said Minato.

"Ah, yes, about that Momos character, am I right?" Igor asked.

"Yeah. I'd like to know more about him, seeing as how he knows you," Minato replied.

"Of course. Next chance we get, I shall tell you what I can," Igor agreed.

"Thanks," Minato closed the door to the Velvet Room. "Well, that was interesting…"

"Please, let's continue; we have much to see," the boy prodded him.

* * *

"This…" the boy gestured to a red door. "…is the door that leads to your memories."

"Really?" Minato asked as he opened the door and looked upon a scene. A figure was standing over a crib in what appeared to be a nursery.

_"JOUHEI, I NEED YOUR HELP!"_ a female figure with blue hair screeched.

_"What is it?"_ a male figure with red hair called out.

_"Minato-chan went in his diaper again!"_ the girl cried out.

_"AGAIN? That's, what, the fifth time today?"_ the man groaned_. "At this rate, we'll run out of diapers for both him and Hamuko!"_

"…Mom? Dad?" Minato gasped.

"As you can see, peering into this door will allow you to view any memory that you've had. Entering inside will allow you to be fully submerged into the memory, kind of like how the Pensive from Harry Potter works," the boy explained. "However, if you do not have a specific memory in mind, then a random memory will be chosen."

"You serious?" Minato asked.

"Deadly," the boy chuckled.

"Then what if I…" Minato concentrated hard on a recent memory. The scene changed to outside Gekkoukan, where another Minato and Junpei were walking.

_"Yeah. So, I was wondering: there's this cute girl in 2-A I want to try and ask out with flowers. Any ideas?"_ Junpei asked.

_"Well, I'd say yellow flowers. You can never go wrong with yellow. Whether they be roses, sunflowers, or daisies, yellow is a good color to break the ice, my mom taught me,"_ Past Minato advised him.

_"Sweet,"_ Junpei grinned. _"Anything else?"_

_"Yeah,"_ Past Minato replied._ "RUN."_

_"What?"_ Junpei looked confused. Past Minato pointed behind Junpei to clarify; Junpei looked over his shoulder to see a VERY angry Yukari quickly approaching.

_"JUNPEI! HOW DARE YOU SAY I USE TONGUE!"_ Yukari shouted ferociously.

"Oh, Junpei, you never fail to make me laugh," Minato let out a string of chuckles.

"That guy is certainly entertaining," the boy chuckled as well.

* * *

"This…" the boy gestured to a grey door. "…leads to your inner thoughts."

"My inner thoughts?" Minato asked.

"Yes," the boy nodded. "Every last thought you've had in the last twenty-four hours stays here. After that, they go to where your memories are."

"I see…" Minato nodded.

"However, I advise you against opening that door," the boy warned. "You do NOT want to be bombarded with a day's worth of inner thoughts all at once; to do so would lead to insanity."

"That's good to know," said Minato. "Do you have a marker?"

"Yeah, I do," the boy gave Minato one. "What is it for?"

"This," Minato wrote on the door.

"DO NOT OPEN," the boy read. "Good."

* * *

"This…" the boy led Minato to a yellow door. "…is where your Personas reside."

"My Personas?" Minato asked as he looked inside. "WHAT THE FUCK? A resort? You joking me?"

"Apparently, your Personas like to relax in style," the boy chuckled.

"Ah, Master Minato, it is a pleasure to see you," a very familiar figure approached them.

"Orpheus? Is that you?" Minato gawked at the figure.

"It is," Orpheus nodded. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I'm currently giving him the grand tour," the boy answered.

"I see…" Orpheus nodded again. "Well, when you get a chance, do visit us, Master Minato; the other Personas and I would love to chat with you."

"Um… thanks," Minato replied. "Tell them to take care in the meantime."

"I shall," Orpheus bowed before returning to his Jacuzzi.

"This is just… surreal," Minato shook his head. _'What the hell did I eat to cause all this?'

* * *

_

"This…" the boy stopped in front of an intricate looking door. "…leads to your Social Links."

Minato looked the door over carefully. Unlike the other doors he had encountered, which were plain, this door was intricately designed. In the center of the door hung a very familiar looking blue and white mask; surrounding the mask were pictures of the Tarot Cards symbolizing Minato's Social Links; some were lit up, while others remained dark.

"This door leads to my Social Links?" Minato asked. "What's with all the symbols?"

"All the ones lit up currently represent active Social Links. Dark ones represent ones yet to be made," the boy explained.

Minato looked closer at the door. He saw that the Fool, Magician, Empress, Emperor, Lovers, Chariot, Hermit, Tower, Star, Sword, Cup, and Coin symbols were all lit up. "So, what happens when I go inside?" Minato asked.

"Go inside and find out," the boy suggested.

Minato opened the door and wandered inside. On the other side, he found that the room was similar to a trophy room, full of pedestals. Several of the pedestals had cards floating above them. He walked over to one of the pedestals and reached out to the card.

_"Go Dad Go! Beat him up!"_ Yukari's voice echoed through the room.

"Yukari-chan? Why am I hearing her voice?" Minato wondered.

"The bond you possess allows you to connect with her soul," the boy informed him. "Think of it as kind of a radio."

"…You mean I can hear their thoughts and all that junk, like a mind reader?" Minato deduced.

"Not exactly. You can only hear the most prevalent thing going on inside. And in this girl's soul, it's apparently her dad wailing on somebody," the boy smiled.

_'She must be thinking about her dad being a hero,'_ thought Minato. _'That's good.'

* * *

_

The young boy led Minato to many more doors, showing him many things. Eventually, they came to a stop in front of a blue and white door. "And here we are. THIS door is the reason why I brought you here tonight," said the boy.

"What's behind this door?" Minato inquired.

"Behind this door… lies your potential," the boy gestured towards the door.

"My… potential? Clarify," Minato ordered, crossing his arms.

"Everyone born has 'potential'. Some are able to live up to with, others are not, and others choose not to. Whatever the choice, everyone has it, and it is stored in their soul. For you, YOUR potential lies beyond here," the boy rattled off.

"You mean… the ability to summon Personas?" Minato theorized.

"Not exactly. For example, someone could have the potential to be a baseball star or a nuclear physicist. That kind of potential would be found behind such a door in their soul," the boy clarified.

"So, what's behind this door is basically what I'm capable of doing?" Minato rubbed his chin.

"Exactly!" the boy clapped. "Until a month ago, Orpheus was here as well, as he was hidden potential for you."

"I get it now, but why bring me here?" Minato asked.

"Because I think now is the time for you to unlock some of that potential for you. Persona-users have unique potential. You may have seen your sempai and your sister utilize that unique potential," said the boy.

"You mean their special abilities?" Minato quirked an eyebrow.

"Correct!" the boy nodded. "And now its time for you to gain yours as well."

"But why now?" Minato wondered.

"As you have noticed, the last few battles for you have not gone so well. Do you recall your last two encounters with the one called Jester?" the boy asked.

"Yeah. One time, I was knocked out. The other, I was trapped," Minato let out a low growl.

"Yes. And both times, you were left powerless to do something. But no more. It is time to even the playing field a little," the boy proclaimed. "Now, please… step inside…"

Minato reached for the door handle, opened the door, and slowly walked inside, not knowing what to expect.

* * *

And we've reached the end of the chapter! I hoped you enjoyed it! I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Next chapter, we learn what's on the other side of that door, Minato talks to Igor about Momos, we squeeze in another Social Link or two, and we FINALLY get to the Full Moon! Until next time!

_**Green Midnight Dictionary:**_

**Momos:** The Big Bad Villain for this story. The boss of both Jester and the Reaper. A bio will be provided for him next chapter. In Greek Mythology, Momos is the son of Nyx and brother of Thanatos and Hypnos. Momos is the god of blame, censure, satire, and mockery. NO, the Momos of the story is not the literal son of Nyx. Also, it can be spelled either Momos or Momus.


	17. Jester's Note

Well, Hello everyone! It's me, the Otaku Harlequin: Jester! Now, I bet you're all wondering what I'm doing here, and why Mr. Writer hasn't updated anything here in an age or two. That reasoning is that, after much soul searching and consulting your reviews (and kibitizing with his beta Lady Starwing the Otaku-hime), Mr. Writer has decided to re-write Green Midnight, and make it much better than before~!

What all does that mean? It means that I _won't_ be pulling Pokemon out of the blue on Blue and Princess Red and the rest of the gang. Also, the full moon shadows are new and improved for your convince, and boy is the first one going to start the story off with a bang! Not to mention some small, additional scenes have been added for some viewing pleasure!

*giggles* Now now, children, don't fret. there's plenty that'll remain the same in the 'Dual Journey', but the questionable things, the annoying, and even some of the out-there like that moldy old Momos (who was really Mitsuru's grandfather, SPOILER ALERT~) will be gone. So, when the 'Dual Journey' is posted, most likely by Halloween, Green Midnight will be pulled down, so you'll go and read that one instead of this old thing.

Until next time, Ta ta~!  
-Jester, the Otaku Harlequin


	18. Jester's Note 2

_Why, hello again, everyone~ It's Jester again~! I bet you're all wondering what I'm doing here once more, and that's to tell you something wonderful~! Dual Journey is now posted for your enjoyment! Don't worry, most of the story and dialogue is untouched, but there are things that have been neatened up, and the earlier chapters aren't jagged. _

_Now, I know there were SEVERAL complaints about some things in Green Midnight. While normally I'd give you all a REALLY good piece of my mind, Mr. Writer likes his reviewers and doesn't want me to piss you all off. So, onto the major ones…_

_First off, Me and my Pokemon. Like I said in my last note, that won't be happening anymore. *pouts* It WAS fun though, let me tell you that much, but I will say that I've got even BETTER things in store for the group now~! _

_Next up is the COMPs. …Wow, what do you people have against Devil Survivor? But in all seriousness, it's not easy trying to come up with a new form of Evoker, you know that? It's not like Princess Red could wear a collar and NOT get stared at. Nonetheless, the issue has been handled, but you didn't have to be such repetitive whiners about how you didn't like it. _

_Now, onto the next two points, which are 'be more creative' and ''get to the good stuff'. Uh, correct me if I'm wrong, but the story was still only in EARLY MAY. Good grief people! Even I know that the story really doesn't get rolling until the May Full Moon, even IN the game! Considering the way it's all been set up, what's been done is relatively creative, and we do need a little something called character development in here. Just wait until October rolls around, and you'll miss the slow and calmness of April, I can PROMISE that. __  
_

_And now for a bunch at once: __This plot is too confusing! Why does everyone know of the Velvet Room! Who is that friggin Momos character? Why is this JESTER here? First off, the plot's too complicated? In all honesty, it's a PERSONA game. Since when has the plot been simple to follow? And everyone no longer knows about the Velvet room, so that's something else you can stop worry about. IN all fairness though, would YOU be able to keep something like that hidden perfectly yourself? And in regards to Momos, forget about him. He's been pitched in Dual Journey, COMPLETELY. Just wipe his existence from your brains, and move on with your life. And as for why I'm here ... I'm here to be a recurring villain, first and foremost. But my role will be more involved than that, oh so much more… Hehehehehe… Just wait until October rolls around in teh story, and you'll see what I mean~_

_And now, for the major point… "ZOMG WHY DOESN"T PRINCESS RED HAVE HER WILD CARD?" …Again, it's only April. If we had TWO wild cards right from teh get go, every battle would be a Curb-Stomp battle, and even those get boring after a while. Don't worry though, Mr. Writer has something VERY special planned for Princess Red though~ _

_Of course, with that out of the way, you might be wondering WHY I'm so much more awesome. The answer: Mr. Writer let the Otaku-hime take over my dialogue, but that's not the only change. But you'll have to wait to see the rest of those changes until everything's posted~_

_Now, before I leave, have some previews~! _

* * *

"It's rare that we see a living creature during Green Midnight," Hamuko remarked as she petted the dog. "Aren't you such a cute little doggy?" The dog jumped into Hamuko's arms and began licking her face, causing her to laugh.

* * *

"I still don't get you how you can tell kobe beef from regular beef. And why the hell would you color a burger GREEN?" Minato eyed the burger.

"Probably because the mascot is green," Hamuko pointed to a nearby statue of an anthropomorphic green duck.

"This is one weird place…"

* * *

"DRAGON!"

_

* * *

And with that, I leave up all! See you in "Dual Journey"!_  
_-Jester the Otaku Harlequin

* * *

_

Now for my notes. Yeah, all major complaints have been addressed. The story's been refined, and the fat's been trimmed. Also, once Dual Journey has caught up to this story, it'll be taken down, so make sure you've read all you needed to! I hope you'll tune in for the new version of Green Midnight! I'll see you all in 'Dual Journey'!_  
_


End file.
